


Another Chance

by Likea_boss9987



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-12
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-04 10:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 21,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1080108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likea_boss9987/pseuds/Likea_boss9987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Non-magical AU. Draco Malfoy is a bully, there really is no other word to describe him. He constantly picks on Harry Potter for his baggy clothing and scrawny form. But is that the only reason? When Draco finally accepts his feelings, how can he make it up to Harry? Would it even work? DMHP</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Draco Malfoy

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is short but that is only because it is an introduction. The rest would be longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters; they belong to J.K. Rowling.
> 
> Warning(s): Characters might be OOC, since they are placed in different situations than the original plot

_Chapter 1— Draco Malfoy_

Draco Malfoy was every girl’s dream guy. With a slight tan, a finely muscled body from constantly working out, standing at 6’1 (just above the average height) and with a lot of cash at hand, was it a wonder why he's the most popular guy in school?

Parading around the school everyday, followed by his posse, all the guys want to be him and the girls just want to date him. Actually, most of them already have. Nobody's perfect after all and even though Draco Malfoy was a dreamy guy, he had a lot of flaws. Like, a _lot._ One of them was the rate he went through girls; by the time you’ve heard the latest gossip about his new girlfriend, it's already a day old. But surprisingly, the girls don’t seem to mind.

However, by frequently dating, Draco Malfoy was actually hiding a secret. A secret that he constantly teased (a way too light term for it) someone else for having as well. Though for the other person it was not really a secret. The secret, which Draco refused to accept most of the time, was that he was gay.

He had another secret of course. One that he wouldn’t even admit to having. He liked the person he bullied. He _like-liked_ that person. He liked Harry Potter. Loved him even.

And he bullied him.

Of course.

Why not?

It’s a classic boy-pulls-the-girl-he-likes-pigtails story. Except, it is much more serious.

 

 

 


	2. Harry Potter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place 6 years before the first and the subsequent chapters would probably be Harry's introduction to his new life before jumping back to the timeline of the first chapter. This story will also be a slow romance.

_Chapter 2— Harry Potter_

There was once a boy named Harry Potter who lived with his Uncle, Aunt and Cousin in 4 Privet Drive, Surrey. And Harry's relatives didn’t like him.

Oh who was he kidding? They didn’t just dislike him. They _loathed_ him, hated him, and cursed his very existence day after wretched day.  They didn’t want him in their lives and he was well aware of that fact. But then why was it that Harry was stuck with them?

Harry’s parents were rich; they were upper class, a place the Dursleys (Harry’s Aunt’s family) wished they could be. Oh no they weren’t poor, far from it really - they were in the upper middle class variety. However, the Dursleys were a greedy bunch and they wanted more. And their ticket there, they believed, was Harry.

Tragedy struck the Potter family when they were killed in a horrid car crash, which Harry miraculously survived with only a scar (that required stitching) on his forehead where a shard of glass had been impaled. The owner of the car that hit them and therefore killed them was the drunk-driving Tom Marvolo Riddle who was sentenced to jail. This all occurred when Harry was one. 

And that was when Harry made the rapid transition from a loving and caring family to one where he was treated as nothing more than a slave.

It wasn’t to such a large extent that it could be considered abuse (to Harry, that is) but he was neglected nonetheless. Harry grew up doing all the chores in the Dursley home since he was five and was made to cook breakfast and dinner since the time he could reach the stove. He was brought down constantly by his relatives ( _“You’re a freak, useless!” “You’re good for nothin’, just like y’ur drunkard parents” “Burnt the bacon again? Can’t you get such a simple thing correct? What a waste of space! And after we took you in when no one wanted you.”)_ and thought very little of himself.

Poor Harry lived in a cupboard under the stairs and on some days, when the Dursleys felt particularly spiteful (after all, they couldn’t access the money his parents left him until he was of age and they _still_ had to put up with him) they locked him up in there, without food, without water, for days; three being the longest period of time.

So Harry grew up as a malnourished child who was constantly told lies about his parents. His frame was so slight that he could have easily passed as an eight-year-old child at eleven. He wore pass-me-ons from his cousin who was at least four times his size, which meant that he always had to clip the clothes back with pins lest they fall off.

His cousin, influenced by his parents to think and treat Harry as nothing more than his personal punching bag, enjoyed playing a game called Harry Hunting whenever his friends came over. As a result, Harry’s frail body was more often than not covered with bruises that his uncle and aunt refused to heal, always excusing Dudley’s actions, stating that he deserved it. Harry had no friends that could possibly help him with his situation since the kids in school tended to avoid him. If the way he dressed and acted (he was shy, painfully shy) did not drive them away, Dudley’s fists were a good indicator to stay clear and Harry had the scars to prove it.

The teachers did not know what to do with this vulnerable, shy child. They knew (or so they thought) that the reason why he missed some school days was because he was a sickly child; born prematurely and saddled with problems as mentioned by his guardians and they had no way to change nature.

So Harry received no help.

Even so, Harry’s green eyes were as vibrant as ever (though its real brilliance were hidden behind large circular glasses that looked too big for his petite face); as innocent as a young child’s even though they had seen so much suffering. His shaggy black hair grew until it reached his shoulders, as his relatives preferred not to waste money and time to cut it for him. Thanks to irregular meals, he was severely underweight and would probably never grow to be very tall. He had gotten some of his mother’s feminine features and with a little work, he could pose as a girl.

Harry tried his best to do well in school but was just an average student due to the lack of time to study. Besides, if he did much better than Dudley - who couldn’t even count to fifty at the age of ten - then Harry would be looking at five straight days locked alone in his cupboard.

However, Harry still retained a thirst for learning and when the Dursleys went away for vacation, he would sneak out to the library that was conveniently within walking distance. Reading helped him escape reality and he always dreamt that someone would swoop him away from life with the Dursleys as well as give him protection and love.  Reading helped keep his hope burning bright.

And on the morning of his 11th birthday, a large, burly man – a letter addressed to him in hand — would change his life.

 


	3. How It All Started

_Chapter 3—How It All Started_

Harry Potter was grateful. He was so eternally grateful to his parents that he would probably dig out his parents’ remains just to thank them, if given the chance. Okay, maybe that was taking it too far in terms of gratitude but cut him some slack, he was high on happiness. He couldn’t believe this—at all. His entire life, he had been told that his parents were drunkards, that they were useless and jobless, that they didn’t love him, that they had died and left him behind to torment the Dursleys. But it turns out they had been rich, exceedingly rich indeed, and the Dursleys only took him in the hopes that they could steal his inheritance from right under his nose.

His parents had loved him very much—Harry knew this for sure—and they had left him with a scholarship to Hogwarts, a boarding school for the rich and clever, as well as a trust fund that could be accessed by him for food and other such necessities to get him by before he could receive his inheritance. After his parents’ lawyer—an old family friend named Hagrid—had told him how much he actually had in the trust fund, Harry almost believed it was all a dream or perhaps an overcomplicated joke courtesy of the Dursleys (though Harry knew none of them had a single funny bone in their entire body). It was like a fairytale come to life. Now all he was missing was his Prince Charming.

The Dursleys hadn’t taken too kindly to Hagrid’s arrival, but had been forced to sit silently as they watched Hagrid enlighten Harry about his parents and status. After all, there was still a twinge of hope, however slight, of them becoming rich that way. So they allowed Hagrid to bring Harry out to shop for school supplies, though still inwardly cursing him.

Now, Harry was standing in _Madam Malkin’s Uniform Shop,_ being tailored for his school uniforms while Hagrid went to the lavatory. After getting everything that was required (goodness he was an extra small!), Harry rushed to the cash register where a long queue had formed. In front of him was another boy who was probably his age. He was bigger than Harry was (Who wasn’t? Harry thought a bit bitterly), with white blond hair that was gelled to the back of his head and a superior air surrounding him. He reeked of money.

Looking at his own baggy clothes and unruly raven hair, Harry felt extremely inferior. He brought his gaze back to the aristocratic blond.

_What was I thinking? I can’t go to Hogwarts! The school will be filled with people like him; graceful, rich, upperclassmen. I’ll never be able to fit in…_

It seemed the boy had sensed Harry’s gaze and he turned around to stare down at him. A slight sneer marred his perfect, narrow features.

“Yes? Can I help you?” said the boy mockingly. He tilted his head slightly as he took in Harry’s skinny frame.

He then noticed the uniforms in Harry’s hands. His eyebrow shot upwards and he inquired, “Hogwarts too?” Disbelief was apparent in his tone.

“Um…” Harry was feeling terribly nervous and incompetent under the boy’s steel stare. Not even the Dursleys made Harry feel this inadequate!

“What, can’t even answer a simple question? You definitely did not get in through your intelligence.” The boy was really grating on Harry’s nerves now and he wanted to scream!

 _But wasn’t it true?_ Harry thought, _I’m only getting in because of my parents. I don’t deserve this do I? Perhaps I should just forget about this. Maybe—_

The boy’s drawling voice brought Harry back to reality.

“I don’t see how the likes of you got in but I suppose your parents are rich? Where are they anyway? And how could they allow you to leave the house in _that?”_ said the boy, gesturing at Harry’s clothes.

“My parents are dead,” Harry said quickly, wanting to avoid going into this topic, especially with such a cold person.

“Oh, sorry.” The boy sure didn’t sound sorry.

Harry didn’t realize that they had been conversing for such a long time as he had already reached the junction where the line was split to three different counters. He starting unloading his items (he had bought the mandatory three uniforms) and was done in less than five minutes. The other boy bought way more though ( _Why would he possibly need so many?_ ) and was still paying for his purchases.

Not wanting to continue their conversation, Harry turned to dash out, but not before the blond boy slipped in a, “See you at school I suppose.”

Harry just nodded carelessly and went in search of Hagrid.

He found Hagrid outside a computer shop with the latest MacBook in his hand. Hagrid mentioned that he wanted to repay Harry for all the birthdays he had missed and therefore got the laptop for him. Harry couldn’t believe his ears! No one had ever gotten him a birthday present before and especially not one so expensive! Sure _Dudley_ got a new laptop for almost every birthday but _him_?

“I can’t possibly accept this Hagrid! It’s too much! Give it back!”

“’arry, yeh gonna need it anyway! Besides, I want to.”

“You can’t! Really, it’s too much!” Harry shook his head so hard that it might have popped off his shoulders with a little more force.

But Hagrid continually insisted, despite Harry’s protests, until Harry finally gave up and accepted it.

After the debate over Harry’s first present _ever_ , they went to get his schoolbooks, better stationary (Harry didn’t know that there were so _many_ ) and other school necessities before sitting down for dinner where Hagrid kept telling Harry amazing tales of Hogwarts.

Hogwarts sounded like a fantastic place.

However, his most brilliant birthday had to come to an end, and he was sent back to the Dursleys once more, where he was left impatiently waiting for the summer to come to a close.


	4. Harry's Summer

_Chapter 4—Harry’s Summer_

Harry spent the rest of the summer looking at his schoolbooks (utterly fascinated by the rich syllabus Hogwarts taught), finding out how to work his new laptop (it’s really very interesting) and of course, doing housework chores. The Dursleys couldn’t just give him a break could they?

But that didn’t matter because now, Harry knew he had an escape. He’d be going to Hogwarts for nine out of twelve months so he would only need to bear with the Dursleys for three.

Harry had found the School’s History book ( _Hogwarts: A History_ ) very entertaining and had found out a lot of interesting tidbits about the school through it.

Hogwarts was located in Scotland, and there were four houses; Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, named after the four founders, where students would be sorted into after taking a personality test. Hogwarts had a belief that by grouping people who shared common interests, no person would be left out. The school had a point system for the four houses and the one with the most points at the end of the year got a surprise reward as well as the title ‘House of the Year’.

Harry somewhat disagreed with the notion that grouping prevented exclusion. After all, grouping was not something he had appreciated in his previous school as he was always seen as the odd freak that took up a space at the back of the classroom. Apparently he shared common interests with no one. Where would they put him then? Harry didn’t want to think that he would be kicked out just because of that. Also, this would probably spark House Rivalries and that was not something Harry wanted.

Nonetheless, it was not like he could change it so Harry just accepted and moved on. He’s been doing that all his life and it was quite easy to do so.

Hogwarts also had a world-class football team. Goodness, they’ve won the past five championships! Harry was impressed.

Hogwarts had a one to one technological programme, which meant that every student had to own a laptop to be used in class for the purpose of furthering their studies. So Hagrid was right, Harry _did_ need the laptop. _I wonder why they didn’t put it in the list of things to buy though? Did they assume everyone would already have one? That’s a rash presumption, isn’t it?_

Ignoring that teensy detail, Hogwarts was the best school _ever_! Or at least to Harry it was. And Harry thought he was excited before.

Summer was coming to an end and Harry couldn’t wait.


	5. Hogwarts Express

_Chapter 5—Hogwarts Express_

Today was the day. On his birthday a month ago, Hagrid had passed him a ticket along with his acceptance letter and he was to go to King's Cross station to board a train called the Hogwarts Express. It would send him, and the other students, to Hogwarts. He was to board by 11a.m., no later.

Harry was so excited that he couldn't sit still. He was all but bouncing off the walls in his absolute delight.  _I'm finally breaking free._ He felt like he was flying.

Convincing Uncle Vernon to send him to King's Cross was surprisingly easy, though Harry wasn't given dinner and received extra chores the next day. A fairly painless payment compared to the other times they dished it out when he didn't deserve them.

Now Harry stood at the station—his ticket clasped in a tight grip and his luggage sat down beside him—wondering where on Earth he was supposed to go. The ticket stated that he was to go to Platform H but there wasn't one in sight. Harry glanced at the big clock hanging on the wonder and felt panic rise.  _Oh gods, I only have 15 minutes to find and board the train!_

So, when he spotted a passing guard, Harry took a chance and showed him his ticket, asking for directions.

The guard gave his ticket a brief scan and gave Harry a secretive grin, before bringing him far away from the crowd, to an empty corridor and an empty wall.

"What? I don't see anything," Harry voiced aloud.

The guard—who had messy black hair like Harry and mischievous grey eyes— just smirked before opening a hidden flap on the right-hand side of the wall, revealing a handle. Harry watched in awe as the guard opened the heavily concealed wide door. Behind it was Platform H.

The guard led him inside, returned him his ticket, and then ruffled his shaggy hair.

"Good luck kiddo, hope you enjoy your time at Hogwarts."

He began walking away but Harry, who was burning with curiosity, asked, "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why is the entrance to Platform H hidden?"

The guard turned back to face Harry, a bright smile on his face.

"Oh I just love it when people ask that! It's like I'm a secret keeper or something. Anyway, as you know, Hogwarts is a very prestigious school  _blah blah blah_  and people  _have_  tried to sneak on board before. Don't know why, to be honest. It's not like they can attend Hogwarts without their names being on the list. But that was long before the Platform was hidden. Now, only those with a ticket—by the way, it was smart of you to ask me when you didn't know where it was—or those whose parents have been in the school before, can find the platform. I used to go to Hogwarts myself, made my best friends there," a shadow seemed to cross his features, "in fact, you look very familiar…"

"Oh." Said Harry, feeling dumbstruck.  _I wish they had mentioned this in_ Hogwarts: A History.

The guard looked to be in a daze and he nodded carelessly, waved a goodbye, which Harry returned it, before walking away once again, leaving Harry alone with his luggage.

 _Wow,_  Harry thought as he looked around,  _Platform H is pretty huge considering that it is hidden. Ha. H for Hidden._

He quickly got on board and settled down in one of the roomy compartments. The Hogwarts Express was truly exquisite.  _I wonder if I would have been used to such luxury if my parents were still alive._  Harry frowned at the thought and chased it away, not wanting to let the sad subject spoil his brilliant mood.

The trip to Hogwarts was long and when they arrived, the sun was going down. In the duration of the trip, several faces had popped into Harry's compartment. One of them being Ronald Weasley, a gangly redhead, who became fast friends with Harry. Harry had been shy at first but Ron's outgoing nature quickly pulled Harry out of his shell and soon after, they were in a serious debate about football. Harry himself didn't know anything about football, he had never played it before, but Ron had lots of experience with it.

"Football is awesome! It's like the best sport  _ever_! I should know. I've got enough siblings to form a football team of my own," Ron joked. But it was very close to the truth. Ron had five older brothers and a younger sister. Harry couldn't even imagine what it was like to have so many siblings. He was an only child (unless you counted Dudley, which he didn't) and had a lonely childhood. Harry briefly wondered what it would have been like if his parents lived and had more children after Harry. They probably would have, they had a lot of love to give.  _Had._

Okay, Harry had to stop reminiscing about the life he could have had. His brain was out to get him, Harry was sure of it.

Apparently, Ron's family has been going to Hogwarts for generations. The Weasleys weren't wealthy but they got by. Ron's father worked in the government and his mother was a housewife. She  _had_ to be, with so many children.

Harry was intrigued with learning more about Ron's life though he refused to share much details of his own. It was just so  _different._ He needed to know what he had been missing out on.

Another person who popped in was Hermione Granger. She had bushy brown hair, large front teeth, and a haughty smile. Harry didn't much like her at first but soon warmed up to her as they exchanged facts about what they had learnt from  _Hogwarts: A History,_ while Ron threw in random anecdotes of his brothers' life when they were attending school. Hermione shared Harry's love of books and had gotten into Hogwarts with her perfect grades. Her parents were dentists and Hermione wanted to follow in their footsteps. Ron wanted to be a professional football player. As for Harry, he didn't know. He had never thought about it before.

But Harry didn't get much time to think about it now either for they soon alighted at a dimly lit platform.

Harry went to Hogwarts with two new friends at his side.


	6. Hogwarts Boarding School for the Bright and Talented

_Chapter 6—Hogwarts Boarding School for the Bright and Talented_

Draco Malfoy was not pleased. He was finally at Hogwarts with his many friends (really, they were just children whose parents wanted them to forge connections with the Malfoy family) but he did not feel happy in the least. Not one bit.

Why?

Because he was standing in an auditorium full of sweaty kids and he just wanted to have dinner and go to bed. But  _no_! The bloody Headmaster hasn't shown up yet. Which meant he had to wait. Draco was hungry, tired and grumpy. Definitely not the greatest combination. And there was probably not a single person on the entire Earth who was more impatient than Draco Malfoy. He wanted food and he wanted it now! And no, he did not care how much like a petulant child he sounded at the moment. If his father were here he would probably have been given the entire  _Malfoys don't…_ speech. Speaking about Father…

_I can't believe how much my father donates to this school, what with its terrible service._

Then finally,  _finally,_  the damned Headmaster arrived.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! My name is Albus Dumbledore and it is really great to see your bright new faces," the Headmaster raised his right hand and gestured to the new students—the First Years. A huge grin was plastered on his wrinkly, bespectacled face.

"Now, let me inform you about life here. Your classes will not be starting straight away. It will start from next week. Before that, every student has to take a personality test that will be given to you tomorrow. It has to be submitted within this week and the results will determine what House you would be placed in. Professor McGonagall will be in charge of that. There are four houses; Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, named for the school's four founders. I shall not tell you what qualities each house entails but it would surely be revealed after the placing. Or if you are really curious, you could pick up a book."

He let out a tiny chuckle, which were followed by a few weak ones. Draco rolled his eyes. Really, could he just get on with it? Some people had things to do and places to be. Preferably eat and bed respectively.

"After you get placed in your respective houses, your schedules will be released. You will be attending classes with your house and one other. And as for meals, they are usually eaten with your houses as well, but feel free to eat wherever you like. Dormitories, however, have already been assigned. " Dumbledore gestured to the notice board at the end of the auditorium.

"I strongly advise that you check the list before heading to the Mess Hall for dinner. That should be all. You may go for dinner now. I hope you enjoy it." He bowed, turned and walked down the stage.

By that time, Draco's stomach was growling loudly and he took a quick peak at the dorm list— _Dorm A, Room 394 with Blaise Zabini,_  Draco noted absentmindedly—before dashing to the Mess Hall.

The Mess Hall was split into four sections. Each section had about 15 rectangular tables (large enough to sit six people at most) and was painted a different colour (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow). The House Colours. The Mess Hall was full of chatter and laughter from the older students. But Draco couldn't care less. He was so hungry that he zoomed in to the Buffet line, which was thankfully short, pulling his luggage with him. After getting a piece of everything, Draco went to find a seat. Shouldn't be a problem for him considering who his father was and the Malfoy influence. But Draco  _really_ did not want to sit with his 'friends' today. Instead, he wanted to make new ones.

He scanned the Mess Hall, looking for a potential friend, when he saw  _him_. Draco recognized him from  _Madam Malkins_. However, he looked different. In the uniform shop, the boy looked a little ridiculous with his spectacles, baggy clothing in the verge of falling off, and nervous expression. Back then, Draco couldn't believe that he was to attend Hogwarts. He just looked so young and innocent that Draco had surprisingly wanted to give him a hug and protect him from the world. Draco had been shocked at that revelation and had retaliated the only way he knew how. He had brought the boy down.

Draco was an  _idiot_.

Because now, the dark-haired boy was at a table with a redhead boy and a bushy-haired girl, and he looked, for the lack of a better word,  _beautiful_. And Draco wanted him as a friend.

He still looked too young and his uniform was a tad bit too big for him but with the carefree way he held himself now, well, it made Draco have the urge to make him smile like that. Draco wanted to be the one that made that wonderful expression appear on his cherubic face.

So Draco walked over.

Initiating Operation G.A.F. (Get a friend).

 


	7. Him again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is constantly alternating between Draco's and Harry's perspective. Perspective change after line break.

Harry was having a great time. Not only was he in a great school with new friends and no Dursleys, he was also fortunate enough to be sharing a room with Ron. Fantastic, isn't it?

It was a new start.

So, it came as quite a shock, not to mention a huge disappointment to him for it completely spoiled his mood, when the rich, snobby boy he met at  _Madam Malkins_  walked over to the table he was currently sitting at, determination set on his face and in his footsteps.

_Was he planning to demean Harry again?_

Harry swallowed loudly, fear evident in his verdant green eyes as he thought about the consequences that could bring.  _Ron and Hermione would see how pathetic of a person I am and dump me as a friend._

No, Harry could not let that happen. He had been devoid of good things all his life and now, when he had a tiny bit of happiness, he was going to grasp onto it with both hands and never let go.

He was not going to let an aristocratic prat ruin things for him.

Harry sat straighter, trying to appear braver than he actually felt, and kept his eyes locked onto the approaching figure.

This time, Harry was not going down without a fight.

For the first time in his life, Harry was going to stand up for himself.

* * *

_The boy does not look glad to see me…_

Draco was feeling something he has never felt in a long,  _long_ time. Anxiety. Nervous. Fear.

Draco had to resist the urge to find the nearest wall to bang his head against. What the hell was going on? Why was feeling so  _irrationally_ scared? All he had to do was demand the boy's friendship and he would be falling at his feet in worship like all the other students in this educational facility. There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of…

But what really didn't help convince him of that were the quickening pace of his palpitating heart as well as his sweaty palms (Ew!).

The blond scoffed at his traitorous body and took a deep breath, wiping the wetness off his hand discreetly on the hem of his uniform shirt.

 _I'm a Malfoy, I'm important, I'm superior and everyone wants to be my friend. This will be fine._ Draco mentally gave himself a prep talk, ignoring the niggling feeling at the back of his mind that suggested he  _did in fact_ have something to be worried about.

It didn't matter now anyway…

He had arrived at his destination.

The boy was glaring— _glaring!_ —at him but his two companions were still oblivious to his presence. So, he gave a loud cough to attract their attention. When their eyes were finally on him, he cleared his throat in an attempt to imitate his father's tone whenever he wanted to sound important, and greeted in a drawling voice, "Hullo."

Draco turned to the boy who was  _still_ glaring at him and gave his most charming smile. The scowl only deepened on the boy's face. Really what was he thinking? He was acting as if he expected Draco to steal his lunch or something. Draco tried to hide his disappointment when he realized that he probably  _did_  think that.  _The boy really thinks so lowly of me? He thinks I'm some sort of bully? Stupid, stupid! Why did I have to insult the boy at our first meeting again?_

Well, it didn't matter now. Draco was here to rectify that mistake and gain the boy's friendship.

Draco was yanked out of his reverie when the boy suddenly exclaimed in an annoyed voice, "What d'you want!?"

Okay maybe Draco had his work cut out for him. This certainly wasn't the cowardly boy that he had met at  _Madam Malkin's_. Draco wasn't sure if he was happy with that fact or not.

Anyway, he had a question to answer. He gestured to the empty seats and asked mockingly, "Aren't you going to offer me a seat?"

The boy looked as if he was about to give a negative response but thankfully, the bushy haired girl beat him to the punch. "Sure. Have a seat."

The boy had an astonished look on his face and seemed to want to protest but perhaps thought better of it as he allowed Draco to take the seat next to him. However, he did shift uncomfortably away from Draco.

This was not good sign but at least it was progress.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Draco heard a slight cough from the redhead, trying to hide a snigger, and felt anger boil within him. He  _hated_ when people laughed at his name. He immediately disliked the ginger. Opening his mouth, he was about to say something degrading about his flaming hair, probably ruining any plan on getting the raven-haired boy's friendship, but was stopped when the girl nudged the boy with a disapproving look on her face. Good, he had an ally in this group.

The girl gave an apologetic smile before speaking, "Hello Draco. I am Hermione. Hermione Granger. This dunderhead," she pointed to the ginger who protested at his given nickname, "is Ronald Weasley. He prefers to be called Ron though. That," finally she reached the person who has captured Draco's interest, "is Harry Potter."

* * *

Harry turned to Hermione with an incredulous look on his face. How could she just announce their name to a complete stranger? Okay, maybe Harry has met him before and maybe Hermione thought she was just being nice but  _still._ He shot a glare at the blond boy.  _Draco._  Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he had a pouncy, fancy name. Of course.

"Hello Harry, Hermione, Ron," Draco greeted, though he didn't look very pleased to have to include Ron's name, "Nice to meet you. I'm just going to cut to the chase okay? I would like you to be my friends."

Harry was gobsmacked, gobsmacked and extremely irritated.  _That_ was straightforward. Harry suddenly felt very angry.  _How dare he just come here and demand we be his friends?_

And Harry definitely didn't need a friend who would always make jibes at him, think him lower and made him feel inferior. He didn't! He had Ron and Hermione already thank you very much!

While he was thinking, Malfoy had offered his hand, a hopeful gleam in his eye. Harry, when he realized it was there, just stared at it. He really,  _really_ did not want to accept. Malfoy was mean, all rich and popular, and Harry did not need to be seen as his sidekick or whatever. Not after finally leaving the Dursleys. He did not want to be somebody else's slave when he was in school too.

So he chose the only possible option—he declined.

"No thank you Malfoy. Don't think I remembered you from the uniform store? I rather not befriend someone like that." Harry explained, his eleven-year-old mind making the decision for him.  _This person is snobby and mean and that is not what you look for in a friend_ , his brain said. Harry agreed with his brain's sentiment. He wouldn't like Malfoy as his friend.

* * *

 _He didn't—he didn't just_ reject  _me, did he?_

Draco was shocked, he was flabbergasted, but most importantly, he was hurt. Harry—no, Potter—just rejected him. And why? Just because he had made a mistake by insulting him a month before. He didn't believe it! Potter didn't even give him a chance. Well, if he believed Draco was bad before, Draco would  _prove_ to him how much more of a bully he could be. Yes, Harry Potter was going to regret the day he had declined Draco Malfoy's hand.

* * *

Harry watched with a smug grin as Malfoy stood up from the table and walked away—taking his things with him. That will show him not to presume that people will bend over backwards for him just because he was rich. In addition to that, this was the first time he did something besides obey and he had won the battle!

"Harry! That was mean! He was just trying to be your friend," Hermione scolded, looking rather put off.

Ron asked at the same time, "You met him before mate?"

Harry nodded in affirmation to Ron's statement before saying, "Yes I've met him before. And Hermione, I had a good reason for not wanting to befriend him…"

As Harry told his friends about the meeting with Draco Malfoy in the uniform store, successfully making them dislike Malfoy too, Draco was turning his own friends against the trio, plotting and planning to make their lives at Hogwarts a living hell.

 


	8. Placement Test

_Chapter 8— Placement Test_

The results for the placement test—which determined what House each student would be in—were out and Harry was shifting in his seat with anticipation. He really wanted to be in the same House as Ron and Hermione. Though he sort of doubted it. In fact, he fully expected to be placed in Ravenclaw with Hermione, as they were both very fond of books and learning. Ron, however, was a whole different story. Whenever he and Hermione wanted to go to the library, Ron would stick out his tongue, straight out refuse to follow them and would join his brothers (who were all in Gryffindor) for a game of football.

Even so, Harry still hoped. He had even tried to change some of his answers in the test to suit some of Ron's personality traits, in hopes that he would end up with him. The test had been weird. That was the only word to describe it. Harry had no idea how they placed you into Houses based on the answers given. How exactly ' _how often do you cry?'_ showed insight to their personalities was a real mystery to Harry.

Anyway, if it turned out that Harry was placed in a different house, he wouldn't have minded. After all, Ron was still his dorm mate. They would have ample time to spend with each other outside school hours. The only house Harry was adverse to joining was Slytherin as, to be honest, that House seemed to full of stuck up prats, just like Draco Malfoy. Harry really did not want to end up  _there._

"You look and tell me Ron. I can't bear to look at it." Harry said to Ron. The redhead rolled his eyes but complied.

"Really Harry, you don't need to be so dramatic. It's just House placement after all. It's not like it is your exam grades! Now that would be terrifying," Hermione teased, checking her own House placement.

"I can't believe it!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, "I'm in Gryffindor!"

She looked pleased with the result, despite the incredulous tone in her voice.

"Harry! Harry! We're both in Gryffindor!" Ron said, a wide smile on his face. Harry gave a huge sigh of relief before breaking out into fits of delighted laughter. He couldn't believe his luck! Both of his friends were in his house!  _Looks like cheating on tests do pay off_ , Harry thought in amusement.

Suddenly, another thought caused Harry's face to darken slightly.

Hermione noticed and asked, concerned, "What's wrong Harry?"

"What House is Malfoy in?" Harry breathed, "Please don't tell me it's Gryffindor too."

Draco Malfoy was the bane of his existence since Harry had rejected his friendship. Malfoy and his cronies had teased and taunted him, making fun of his appearance and insulting his dead parents. Harry would ignore these taunts with clenched fists, knowing that they just wanted to get a rise out of him, but when they had started bringing in Ron and Hermione as well, Harry had had to stop Ron from trying to punch the gits' faces in. They would deserve it, but Harry didn't feel comfortable with how large some of Malfoy's friends were. Harry suspected that it would be  _them_ who would be at the losing end if a fight were to break out. His small frame wouldn't help at all—one punch and he would be flat on his back.  _Thank you Dursleys._ Harry thought bitterly. Not only had their treatment left him constantly afraid that Ron and Hermione would bolt once they realized that he was more trouble than he was worth, they had left him with a small appetite and practically no meat on his bones. He could count all his ribs for heaven's sake!

He was brought out of his silent fuming by Ron's chuckles.

"Oh you don't need to worry about those pricks. I've heard the Malfoys always get put in Slytherin. That's the house where all people with money go." Ron said, not bothering to keep the disdain out of his voice.

Harry nodded; glad to find out that he would not be attending all his classes with the blond prat. Now, hopefully, Malfoy wouldn't have much time to annoy the hell out of Harry.

* * *

"We're having two back-to-back periods of Chemistry today." Ron complained. Harry groaned in reply.

It has been two months since school started and Harry loved it. However, Hogwarts wasn't all flowers and rainbows. There were, of course, downsides. One of them was Chemistry—or to be more specific, the Chemistry teacher.

For some reason, Professor Snape—that's the Chemistry teacher—hated him. Harry didn't understand why. I mean, sure, Harry wasn't the greatest at Chemistry (gosh balancing equations hurt his brain) and maybe his grades weren't the best but that definitely did not warrant such poorly hidden loathing, right? Being in Snape's class was like living with the Dursleys, you never know when the whale was about to blow. Neville, Seamus, even Crabbe and Goyle! Now  _those_ people fared worse than Harry but he didn't see  _them_ getting ridiculed every lesson.  _N_ _o_ , Snape just had to take out all his frustrations on him.

To make it worse, Chemistry was one of the only subjects that he had with the Slytherins (read: Malfoy) and he was constantly made fun because of Snape's hatred. And Snape didn't do a thing to stop it! Once, when they were working with Hydrogen peroxide and sodium iodide, Malfoy had added in  _dish soap_  when Harry had turned to check Ron's (his partner's) progress. That chemical reaction had caused foam to flood out as well as producing enough heat to get Harry burnt! Instead of punishing Malfoy (Harry would have been satisfied just to see Snape berating his favourite student), Snape had told off and given a detention to  _Harry_ , calling him "a pathetic excuse of a Hogwarts student" before sending him off to the Infirmary (just a tiny room with a single bed. Harry should know, he's been there for regular check-ups because the school nurse had suspected he starved  _himself,_ due to his too-small frame. Thankfully, he has finally dispelled that notion.).

Harry could still  _hear_ Malfoy's incessant snickerings.

Harry had never thought that he could dislike anybody more than the Dursleys but Malfoy and Snape proved him wrong.

Life in Hogwarts was great with Ron, Hermione and his other friends from Gryffindor as well as some awesome teachers, don't get him wrong, but Harry could do without the bullying. Hermione has urged him more than once to just tell Professor McGonagall (strict English teacher, their House's Dean, and someone whom Harry really respected) about Malfoy and his friends so that she could put an end to their horrible behavior for good.

Harry didn't want to.

Telling a teacher probably wouldn't work, after all, Malfoy and his buddies had Snape to help them and most of their parents were on the school board! They have only been teasing Harry so far anyway (okay, and maybe Ron and Hermione as well, Harry really felt guilty that he had pulled them into this), and Harry didn't want to risk making it worse if he reported them. Harry has handled beatings from Dudley before, this was nothing compare to that! Harry would never be able to stand up to anyone in a fight and he shuddered to think of the bullying escalating to physical hurt. Apart from that though, Harry secretly just didn't want to admit to anybody else that he was too weak to stand up for himself.

All Harry could hope for was that Malfoy would finally grow tired of taunting him and stop, preferably in the near future.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, looks like you've got a new chapter anyway. But I just have to warn you that this story might not be updated regularly as school can be stressful.
> 
> You have been warned.
> 
> Anyway, I'll be introducing another character in later chapters and I'm wondering if you would like the person to have an original name or be a character from the books.


	9. First and Second Year

_Chapter 9—First and Second Year_

Malfoys know how to hold a grudge. That is the only thing Harry is certain of throughout the years.

First year passed quite uneventfully. Aside from the constant snide remarks from annoying Slytherins. But Harry could handle all that; it was better than being completely ignored by his peers when he shared a school with Dudley. Harry was finally living a normal schoolboy's life and it wasn't half bad.

_**Harry's Journal, End of School Entry (First Year)** _

_Hey oh trusty companion! Here's for an entry for the end of the most spectacular year:_

_The school year has been great, though I can't believe Slytherin won! Gryffindor was a close second though. I've heard from Fred and George (I've written about them before—The Great Toilet Prank—Ron's brothers—awesome pranksters) that they've been winning for the past five years with Gryffindor always lagging behind by a few points! I swear they must be cheating!_ _No one could be that good right?_ _Oh I better not write that just to be safe, those Snakes already have a too-big ego don't they?_

_Received my report card today, got straight As for the first time ever (credit to Hermione), although its not like the Dursleys would care anyhow… Right, that brought me down quickly._

_Moving on!_

_Stupid git Malfoy tripped me today! Couldn't he just give a break for one day? I mean really. I never initiate anything! Can't he just leave. Me. Alone? I don't believe I deserve this kind of treatment and Hermione is still pestering me to—_

_Sorry I realize I'm ranting about Malfoy again. I've got to stop that. People would think I'm obsessed with him or something. I'm not though!_ _He's just so bloody infuriating, always looking so damn superior_ _—_

_I almost beat Ron in chess today, can you believe it? Though Ron insisted that it was his farewell gift to me so I can't be certain if it was through my own merit…_

_Well, I guess I'm going back to the Dursleys. Oh what rotten luck! I had hoped that since one part of my dreams came true (still forever grateful mom and dad!), the other part where a lost relative swoops me away would happen too… But no matter! Three more months and I'll be back. The homework that Snape assigned should keep me busy._

_I wish I could stay with the Weasleys for summer. Ron said his parents suggested I come over but I know I can't. The Dursleys won't allow it. Heaven forbid Harry Potter gets to have fun! But I'll strive through it. I always do._

_Harry_

* * *

Second year was terrifying. There was a murderer about. And the school became the hunting ground where this vicious predator prowled. Students were afraid and hysterical, always clutching their books close to their chest as they scurried from class to class, eyes constantly darting about, always going about in groups. Though going around as a pack never really helped. Hogwarts was almost closed to prevent further panic.

Two students were killed and the school mourned while their parents' bawled. Three students had been injured; Harry and Hermione being two of the three.

It was gruesome and cruel how the murderer tortured them. The two students who were killed—Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory, only 15 and 16 respectively—had gone out for a midnight romp and had been found dead—both naked, small incisions and long slashes littered their bodies though their causes of death were confirmed as strangulation—eyes wide, blank and unblinking, the next day.

They were the first and last to be killed but not the last to suffer.

When the police arrived at the scene and the entire school was informed, it was utter chaos! Parents were demanding their kids come home and students were in a frenzy, frightened at the thought that they could be next.

Harry, like all other sane pupils, had been scared as well. He'd believed Hogwarts was safe, that nothing but notorious bullies could touch him here. He was wrong. Turns out some of Uncle Vernon's 'teachings' that he told Harry to ensure he wouldn't run away (not that he would have, if he had any lost relatives out there, he had wanted to make it easy to find him) was correct. The outside world, the unfamiliar place out of the safety of his cupboard, was dangerous.

He was on high alert after his revelation. After all, Harry wanted to avoid any trouble and he  _did_ want to survive through adulthood. The Dursleys, as well as Malfoy and his gang, were bad enough without adding a murderer to the list of Things sent to Torture Harry. Somehow, Malfoy still found time to pick on Harry through all the fear running rampant. Harry hated it but perhaps, that constant helped the other students calm down.  _Oh look there's Malfoy picking on Potter again._ This was still Hogwarts; this was still their school.

But, Harry still didn't wish for Hogwarts to close. No matter what, this was his sanctuary away from the Dursleys and he didn't want to go back. This was home, regardless of mad murderers.

His guard slipped, however, when no further murders occurred. The murderer had lured the most of the school into a false sense of security and everyone believed that everything would be fine. That it was just a one-time thing. It was a good thing the police were still on the case, thanks to the Changs and Diggorys—prominent families in the area—needing vengeance. They needed to see the murderer who killed their children in cold blood behind bars and given the death sentence.

It was a good thing—for Harry, Hermione and Ginny (Ron's younger sister who had joined Hogwarts that year) would be lying in coffins if not for their insistence of keeping the police on guard.

A harmless trip to the library in the middle of the day shouldn't result in any danger befalling them, right? Harry and Hermione believed that it was perfectly safe to accompany timid Ginny (still very much haunted by the recent killings) to the library on a lazy Sunday afternoon. How very wrong they were.

Many students and professors ventured out to the close town Hogsmeade on weekends so Hogwarts' halls were virtually empty. However, Ginny needed some material from the library to complete a project that Snape (all problems start with Snape) had assigned and had shyly asked if Harry, Hermione and Ron could go with her as she was still visibly shaken from the murders earlier in the year. Harry would never pass up the chance to go to the library as well as to help out a friend (or the sister of a friend, whatever) and agreed to it. Hermione too. Ron made a lousy excuse and bailed. The library was too boring to spend a weekend in for  _him_.

The rest is perhaps a tad too gruesome to describe. But, to summarize, a crazed looking lady wielding a sharp, bloodstained, carving knife attacked them. No wonder the cops never found the killer, they had all assumed it was a male. Maybe it's about time to leave assumptions behind.

Thankfully, nearby policemen who had been patrolling the area, heard their screams and they'd been saved. But they didn't walk away unscathed.

Harry suffered the most damage, because, while he wasn't as big as Hermione or Ginny (and wasn't that sad?), he was still male and these were his friends. He wanted to protect them from this lunatic.

Due to this, his story of standing up for his friends were reported in the news, as well as the capture of the murderer Bellatrix Lestrange. When interrogated on why she performed those horrid acts, she simply cackled and fought against her restraints. People believed her to be mentally unsound, though there wasn't much doubt.

Harry had been sent to the hospital at Hogsmeade immediately, Hermione and Ginny tagging along though their slight abrasions could've been healed at the Infirmary. They needed to support their friend who'd courageously risked his lives for theirs.

Terrible, terrible year it was. Whilst sorrowful that two innocent students had died and that he had been confined to the hospital bed for a month, Harry had to say that one good thing came out of this horrendous year.

Harry found out that he had a godfather!

* * *

Sirius Black had been searching for his godson, Harry Potter for what seemed like eternity. He had lost the case to keep Harry long ago—when Harry was one—to Lily's detestable relatives. Really, how Lily could be related to those horrors was lost to him. Sirius would concede that the verdict given was partly his fault, but could you really blame a guy for being a rebellious teenager when he had such suppressing parents? The Dursleys had used Sirius jail records (they were for minor things, he swears!) against him, pronouncing him unfit to raise a child and therefore they should gain custody. There was nothing Sirius could do. His hands were tied. He had held on to the hope that he could at least still interact with his godson and play a part in his life, the judge couldn't bar him from that, but it had been dashed when the Dursleys moved away, leaving no way for Sirius to locate them.

From then on, Sirius had learned from his mistake, getting a proper job (as a security guard can you believe?) and setting himself back on the right path, all the while searching for his missing godson. He hadn't found him until the news reported on a familiar-looking boy who'd been landed in the hospital because he stood up to a murderer to protect his friends…

It was the green-eyed boy that looked so much like James. The boy he met just last year when he had approached Sirius for help. And below his picture were the words,  _Harry James Potter._

His godson.

He'd finally found him.

Harry had been wounded and was situated at St. Mungos. Sirius was finally going to be reunited with his long-lost godson. He really hoped Harry would welcome him with open arms and not blame him for his unwilling absence. Perhaps, now that Sirius had changed, was a better 'guardian' in that sense, maybe he had a chance to gain custody of Harry. However, he would require some assistance.

Picking up his cellphone, he pressed the number that was readily on his speed dial. "Remus? Have you seen the news? It's time we got Harry back."

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I changed their ages to fit the story better as I needed to kill off some characters. Sorry about that.
> 
> So here's the next chapter. Hoped you enjoyed it. And how many people picked up the hint that Sirius was the guard at the station? :)
> 
> There should be three interludes in total, charting Harry's school life from 1st to 6th Year and then the real story will (finally) start.


	10. Third Year

_Chapter 10—Interlude 2 (Third Year)_

Harry was overjoyed the day Sirius Black and Remus Lupin came into his life. And although it has been over two months, Harry has yet to come down from his euphoric high. He did have a family outside the Dursleys (if you could call them a family) after all. Sirius, after hearing Harry recounting his life at the Dursleys, all the way looking as if he wanted to hunt them down and skin them alive, had offered a way out.

But before all that, Sirius had told Harry beautiful, wonderful stories about his parents and the Marauders to convince him that he  _was_ who he said he was. The Marauders—a magnificent group consisting of his father, Sirius, Remus and someone called Peter. They were the Fred and George of the past. And Harry finally figured out why Snape hated him so much.

James—his father—used to tease and taunt Snape for being small-sized and weak, for wearing worn-out clothes…for being very much like Harry really. Harry felt a tinge of guilt when he heard about that, but it was almost immediately replaced by fury. So his father was sort of an arse when he was younger, that did not give Snape the right to make his life hell. Plus, Harry was in the same situation Snape was in…didn't he see that? Malfoy was always lurking at every corner just waiting with the Taunt of the Day. But yet, Snape turned a blind eye. Snape was as bad as James for condoning bullying.

However fun the Marauders used to be, Harry had to feel a little ashamed by his father's actions. Sirius had defended James, saying that Lily, who James had loved before they had gotten together, was turned against him in the first few years of school because of Snape so James had a legit reason for being mean to Snape. James had changed in the end, Sirius insisted, and that was why Lily finally forgave him and had ended up with him.

That part at least gave Harry a bit of hope that someone would come along and change Malfoy so that he would stop bothering Harry. It was as if Malfoy didn't have a life outside of Harry or something. So, Harry crossed his fingers that as Malfoy grew older, he would mature like Harry's father had and eventually stop acting like a first-class prat.

Anyway, Sirius had scowled when Harry had wondered aloud about Peter's identity and why he wasn't there with them. It turned out that Peter was the lawyer who opposed Sirius' claim to Harry by working for the Dursleys. Driven by greed, he had forgone his former best friends' wishes and good will. Harry was dumbfounded when he found out. If it weren't for Peter, he would have spent his childhood with people who actually loved him, instead of living in a dusty cupboard.

Remus had not been able to win the case for Sirius before but they believed that now, with Harry as a witness to the Dursleys' neglect and abuse (Harry had protested at the usage of the word but Sirius had told him seriously that what the Dursleys had done  _was_  abuse and therefore unforgivable), as well as Sirius' present clean record, they could easily secure guardianship over Harry.

So, in Third Year, Harry spent lots of travelling in and out of Hogwarts, going for trials, discussing matters with Remus and daydreaming of a future with Sirius. The Dursleys had been tripping over their feet to get rid of Harry but had demanded repayment for all the years they provided for the raven-haired boy. Harry had scoffed at that statement. Really, if they thought what they 'provided' for Harry required compensation and not jail time (according to Remus that is; Harry, though he loved books, couldn't stand the thought of looking through those thick law books), then they had another thing coming.

Malfoy had been as unbearable as ever, adding a new name to insult Harry with, calling him an attention seeker, as, due to last year's fiasco, Harry's trial had also been plastered over the news. Hermione had gotten sick of Malfoy's nonsense, as she knew how sick Harry felt whenever a camera was aimed his way, and had socked Draco in the jaw.

Ron and Harry had been profoundly shocked, especially since she was the one who always advised them to ignore his jibes, and had also found a new respect for Hermione that day. They knew she had the brains but  _damn,_  that girl could sure pack a punch. Malfoy was rubbing his jaw the entire week, a large purple bruise prominent on his pale face. Of course Hermione had received a detention (from Snape) but when Harry had worriedly inquired if she was all right, she had reassured him that she was "just glad to show that prick what happened when he messed with her friends".

Harry was grateful that he had been bestowed such great friends. His insecurity that they would leave him at the first sign of trouble had greatly diminished as they had showed with their actions that they would stick with him through thick and thin. First Year they had bore the insults thrown at them by Malfoy and his cronies, Second Year they had visited and kept him company through his boring time at the hospital and now, Third Year, they encouraged, supported and stuck with him through the trials, even though they were a bit hurt that Harry never mentioned his horrible home life to them.

In the end, Sirius had won custody over Harry; the Dursleys' got nothing and instead were fined for *£10,000. The trials hadn't lasted long, Harry's testimony, the physical proof (his small frame, some left over bruises from where Dudley punched him) and some hard evidence from the doctors at St. Mungos, who had showed that the state of his health and body was due to mistreatment from a young age. Thankfully, Pettigrew hadn't made an appearance or Harry wouldn't have been able to pay attention in court, as he would have probably spent majority of the time shooting daggers at him. After all, it was  _his_  fault that Harry had been stuck with a miserable childhood.

Harry had been dazed when the sentence was announced. He couldn't believe it; he was finally free, he was going to be with people who loved him now.

The rest of Third Year had been passed in a delightful blur for Harry; not even Malfoy's—he hadn't learnt his lesson, though he had a hard time looking Hermione in the eye—continuous barbs could bring him down, and at the end of the year, he went to live with Sirius and Remus—who until then, Harry hadn't known were a couple.

When Harry asked, they had been hesitant to answer, worried about how Harry's opinion of them would change. Harry truly couldn't give a rat's fart. It didn't matter who you loved; in fairytales, love always conquered all. It didn't matter if you were poor, a different creature etcetera and liking the same gender definitely shouldn't affect your romantic choices. In addition to that, Uncle Vernon had always made his disapproval of homosexuals clear, calling them "perverts and disgusting shirt lifters", and to Harry, his words were now worth less than dirt. Who was Vernon to dictate who loved who anyway? Harry didn't believe he even knew what love meant.

After spending the first week of summer repeatedly reassuring Remus and Sirius that he didn't mind their attraction to the same gender, they—Harry and his two guardians—had a blast making up for Harry's lost childhood, going to the zoo, to the swimming pool, to amusement parks and the like!

They even went to visit the Burrow—Ron's house—and for the first time, Harry enjoyed summer. The rest of Ron's brothers were great! Bill the banker  _(chuckle)_  didn't fit the stereotypical image for someone in his profession. Harry had always pictured him as another Percy when Ron had previously mentioned his job in the passing, nerdy-looking (not that Harry could talk), snobby and a right bore. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Long hair tied up in a ponytail, clothes that looked right out of a rock concert and a rad fang earring dangling from his right ear, Bill was Harry's definition of cool. Bill had a French fiancée named Fleur Delacour who Harry swore Ron had a crush on. Whenever Fleur was around, Ron would go all silly and kept on stuttering. Harry himself didn't see what was so special; Bill was much nicer to look at of the pair.

As for Charlie...Harry couldn't comprehend why his face would heat up every time he came into close proximity with Charlie. Charlie Weasley was the second eldest after Bill, short (compared to Ron and Bill, that is. Next to him, Harry felt as tiny as ever) and stocky, and he worked as a veterinarian who volunteered at animal shelters. That must be why Harry felt warm and jumpy when with Charlie; it had to be admiration.

The Weasley family was a fantastic bunch. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had accepted Harry as one of their own, grateful that he'd saved Ginny and sad that he had suffered when he was young. "Children are meant to be pampered," Molly Weasley had told Harry before doubling his dinner portion one day. Harry had given her a wide grin and had eaten the delicious food with relish. Not all though, Harry's stomach was still not accustomed to eating large meals, even after four months having proper meals.

The Weasley siblings—all seven of them—had attempted to get Harry interested in football. It was mission impossible though. Harry just didn't see the appeal of kicking a ball around. Ron had whinged for days, saying that Harry  _had_ to like football or who was going to play with him when Fred and George eventually left Hogwarts? Too bad for him, Ginny had overheard and had stared pointedly at her brother. " _I_  could," Ginny said, irritated. Everyone always seemed to forget that  _she_  loved football too just because she was a girl. Ron's face flushed at her statement and Harry had burst out in laughter when he caught sight of his best friend's expression. Ginny had then given a high squeal when she saw Harry before dashing out of the room. What was  _that_  all about?

Hermione joined them the week before summer came to an end—she had been on vacation before—and Harry could solemnly swear that his life was complete.


	11. Fourth - Sixth Year

_Chapter 11—Interlude 3 (Fourth-Sixth Year)_

Alas, all good things must come to an end and soon, Harry was off to Hogwarts once again. But this time, he had someone to send him off and somewhere to go for Christmas.

Fourth Year was confusing. All of Harry's friends were taking interest in the opposite gender and he had no idea what to do. Ron started talking excessively about Lavender Brown and her developing boobs (his words, not Harry's) and Hermione spent a lot of time with an exchange student by the name of Viktor Krum. Harry was once again the odd one out.

Whenever Seamus, Ron, Dean and all the other Gryffindor boys began obsessing over girls and their "hot bodies", Harry would be sitting in the corner not really understanding the interest. What was different between this year and the previous? God it was not just the Gryffindors, even  _Malfoy_ was seen with girls trailing behind him. It was no longer just Parkinson (Malfoy's longstanding fangirl). That didn't stop him from making time to insult Harry though. And that was the only benefit Harry had been looking forward to. Stupid Malfoy, always dashing Harry's hopes.

To make things worst, Harry started feeling  _things_ for Malfoy. Besides his usual annoyance and hatred. It was the warm, fuzzy feeling he had used to get with Charlie. But surely Harry wasn't feeling admiration for Malfoy—there was nothing to admire. So what was happening?

Harry hadn't a clue.

Normally, Harry would have taken these rampant hormones as a clue to hang out with Ginny, seeing as she probably wouldn't be affected by this madness but Ginny seemed to be avoiding him, always turning her head away when he caught sight of her. Harry didn't understand that either. What had he done to make Ginny hate him?

So instead, he hung out with one of Ginny's friends. Her name was Luna Lovegood. Ginny had introduced her to him the previous year, stating that they would hit it off well, and had left it at that. Luna was a Ravenclaw and it seemed she was picked on as much as Harry was, just because she loved nattering on about wizards and mermaids and fairytales… Harry himself found it absolutely fascinating. How could anyone ever shun someone like her, who could endear you to her with amazing stories? But perhaps that was due to the fact that Luna believed it was all real. However, that made the stories more believable, the conviction in her voice always unmistakable.

People didn't understand that each individual was unique, didn't understand that people should be allowed to believe what they want. Because of that, him and Luna became great friends during the summer (the Lovegoods lived near the Weasleys). They understood each other; they both had had 'different' childhoods. Harry had lived in a cupboard and was treated as an insignificant being while Luna was raised without her mother. They were different but that was okay.

However, Hermione didn't really like Luna when Harry introduced her on the Hogwarts Express as she saw her as loony. Most people did. But in Hermione's case, she found Luna's obsession with a fantasy world nonsensical. Hermione preferred solid facts to beautiful plots when reading books, unlike Harry who had needed an escape as a child, and thus loved enrapturing plots with happy endings. When he was young, it had brought him hope. Previously, Harry had avoided Luna, as he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Hermione (and Luna was a year below him) but now, Harry had a lot of time to catch up with her. One more friend was always a good thing right? Better a friend than an enemy (though this didn't apply to Slytherins obviously).

Fourth Year also brought back the insecurity from when he first started Hogwarts. He thought he had finally gotten rid of it but low self-esteem never really goes away does it? The one highlight of that year, when Harry got picked to represent Hogwarts in chess instead of Ron—Harry has improved a  _lot—_ was ruined with Ron's jealousy. It was the first fight Harry had ever gotten into with a friend and since Harry had no prior experience, he was left floundering, constantly wondering what he had done wrong.

However, Harry wasn't about to forgive Ron quickly, he had said some awfully hurtful things—snubs that Malfoy often used against him. Ron was supposed to be happy for him and cheer him on, not accuse him of cheating and being an attention seeker. Harry didn't know Ron could be so cruel. It's not like he had done it intentionally, unlike Malfoy who purposely snatched a position on the Hogwarts' football team away from Ron.

They eventually started talking to each other again (thanks, once again, to Hermione's expertise, after she finally managed to detach herself from Krum's side) when Ron apologized for being an arse and got their friendship back on track. However, the doubts were still there. Would Ron ever abandon him again because of mindless envy?

* * *

The summer after Fourth Year, Harry was the witness of a truly horrifying thing—Sirius and Remus screwing on their dinner table. But the truly horrifying aspect was not because of the act itself (although seeing his guardians doing the deed would indeed scar him for life), it was that Harry hadn't found it terrifying at all. He had found it (dare he say it)  _arousing_.

_No. No. No._

After that Harry had gone into denial, as well as steering clear of Remus and Sirius. No, he wasn't gay. He  _couldn't_ be gay. He knew what he had said before about love knowing no gender and he wasn't trying to be hypocritical but he didn't want to be gay. Not because he believed it wrong and perverted but because of how people's perception of him would change. What would Ron and Hermione think? Once, Harry would have trusted wholeheartedly that they wouldn't mind but now, the slight possibility of getting spurned for his sexuality made his stomach churn. And what about Malfoy and his group of followers? They had been making his life at Hogwarts hell since day one and wouldn't they just love another reason to pick on him? Harry would die of embarrassment if Malfoy ever found out.

Now Harry understood why Remus and Sirius had been reluctant to tell him about them being together.

Harry's eyes widened as he remembered the emotions he had been experiencing around Malfoy this year and realizing what they meant at last.  _No! Impossible! I can't like_ Malfoy,  _my tormentor, of all people. Nope. Can't be true. No._

And that was how Harry convinced himself that he wasn't anything but perfectly straight, passing the days safe in his little bubble of denial—that is, until Remus came along and popped it.

Remus was worried. Harry had been avoiding him and Sirius for the past few days, not meeting their eyes or talking to them and eating meals in his room instead of with them. Remus thought it was about time to stage an intervention. So, one day, he sat Harry down at the dinner table—and Harry had sat down cautiously as if he would catch a disease from it—and asked him what the problem was.

Harry just stared at the space behind Remus for a long period of time before giving out a sigh. The question he asked was not one Remus had suspected.

"Remus," Harry started hesitantly, "how did you know you were gay?"

Remus' eyes widened as he heard Harry's inquiry and was inwardly wondering where this was coming from. Did Harry suspect that he was gay?

"Um…well…I think it's time we had a talk. You might want to get comfortable for this," Remus said awkwardly, cursing Sirius for not being at home. Looks like he would have to be the one who had the Talk with Harry. Oh dear.

After explaining to Harry about puberty and the mechanics of sex—both normal and homosexual—Harry walked out of the dining room, embarrassed, scarred for life, but finally accepting of the fact that he was gay and it was okay. Harry had thought that his lack of appreciation for the female anatomy was due to he being a late bloomer but he was wrong. Again. When would he ever stop being wrong? Either way, that explained why Harry had felt nothing romantic for Luna even after spending excessive amounts of time alone with her as well as him always noticing Malfoy's muscles (because that was obviously all it was, there was nothing else attractive about Malfoy)—

But that was beside the point.

Being different was okay.

Now, he just needed to break the news to his friends.

The first people Harry came out to were, to the surprise of everybody, not Ron and Hermione but Luna and Ginny. They were in a Hogwarts Express Compartment when this happened. Ron and Hermione had been selected as Prefects and thus, had to go for a briefing. So, Harry went to sit with Luna and Ginny instead.

As Harry sat tensed in his seat, worried eyes darting from Luna to Ginny, trying to judge their reactions as the pregnant pause grew longer.

Finally, it was broken by Ginny. She took in a deep breath before saying, "Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed, nor can I say that I'm very surprised." Ginny looked up from her lap, warm brown eyes meeting nervous green ones, "But its okay Harry. We'll support you through this. Always."

Harry grinned at her. Ginny was truly a fantastic person. Harry was glad to have such a great sister (in everything but blood). Then, Harry turned his gaze to Luna. She had her usual dreamy smile on her face and Harry wondered if she had even heard him.

Luna noticed Harry's eyes on her a moment later and laughed giddily. "Oh Harry. I knew already! The Nargles swarm you whenever Draco is around."

"What? What are—Never mind. But wait, what does Malfoy have to do with this?" Ginny wondered aloud.

Harry just banged his head against the back of his seat. "No Luna. I  _don't_  like Malfoy. He's an arse and of all the people on the planet, he's the least likely I'll be attracted to."

Luna just hummed happily to that and continued sketching a blob-like creature in her tiny notebook.

Harry sighed. At least they would stand by his side, even though Luna's theory niggled the back of his mind, begging for attention. Harry fervently ignored it. He might be gay and Malfoy might be ho—good-looking but Harry could never feel anything but hatred for that blond prat.

Telling Ron and Hermione was easier than he expected, especially since he had already successfully told someone else. Hermione had just nodded as Harry confessed, before saying that she had already suspected as it was so obvious. Harry had rolled his eyes. Typical Hermione always has to be right. Ron had listened intently, his face paling slightly. But after Harry repeatedly reassured Ron that  _no_  he didn't like Ron and  _no_ he had never peeked at him in the shower, Ron just slapped him on the back and gave him a wide grin. "It's okay mate. Charlie's gay too. Maybe you two should hook up," Ron teased, eyebrows waggling suggestively.

Harry shoved him playfully, his face breaking out in a bright smile. His best friends accepted him despite his sexuality. He could just take off flying, he was so happy.

"But it's a pity," Ron continued, "Ginny had such a crush on you since Third Year."

Harry blinked, shocked by what he had just heard.

Oh.  _Oh._  The avoiding, the blushing, why Ginny had said she was disappointed. It all made sense now. Harry swallowed. Was he so oblivious to liking a person when it concerned him? He always could spot pining (Examples include Ron and Hermione blatantly crushing on each other. And Hermione said she knew everything) from miles away but yet he couldn't see what was right in front of him? Well, Harry hoped that now that Ginny knew Harry's interests lay somewhere else, she would move on and settle down with a nice guy. She deserved it after all.

Turns out Harry hadn't needed to worry about Ginny moving on from her crush on him as the very next week, Ginny was found snogging Dean Thomas at every available dark corner at school, to the shock and horror of Ron. Fred and George just laughed as Ron ranted about Ginny's "slutty habits" and teased Ron about being jealous, as  _he_ obviously hadn't kissed a girl yet. That had left Ron spluttering embarrassingly as his face turned an unattractive beat red, to the amusement of Harry and Hermione. Harry was happy for Ginny and thought Ron should not say such vile things about his sister. It was a natural process –dating—wasn't it?

To be honest, Harry was scared of dating and absolutely reluctant to do it. After all, it was different for him. He couldn't just go around gallivanting around the school holding another guys hand like other couples did. No one but his closest friends and family knew about his sexuality and he preferred to keep it that way. If word got out…things wouldn't be pretty. Harry didn't want Malfoy to get another excuse to scorn him. So, the nearest Harry ever got to a relationship was a brief fling with Charlie during the summer after Fifth Year (if you consider a few heated kisses as a fling and to Harry it counts).

* * *

Many things happened in Sixth Year. Ron started dating Lavender Brown (much to Hermione's disdain), Harry improved in Chemistry (thanks to a change in teacher), Remus and Sirius were thinking about adopting a child (to Harry's delight), but the most terrifying of all—Harry lost his journal! And of all the 240 students who roamed the huge halls of Hogwarts, of course it had to be Malfoy who found it.

The jerk read each and every entry that mentioned him out at breakfast (practically all of them, now that Harry thinks about it), and effectively forced him out of the closet.

"Why Potter, I never knew you thought about me so often. Really I'm flattered," Malfoy had said after slamming Harry's journal shut and tossing it flippantly into Harry's hands. Harry was so utterly humiliated and mortified and angry and  _oh god Malfoy this is the last straw!_ He lunged at Malfoy, his small frame just managing to knock Malfoy's large one onto the ground. He straddled Malfoy's body and threw punches as hard as he could at Malfoy's surprised features, bruising his knuckles in the process, but it was all worth it as long as he could finally let out all the pent up anger from the years of bullying. However, Harry decided that he probably wouldn't be engaging in any more fights when Malfoy and his goons got over their surprise and started fighting back.  _God,_ it hurt so bad to be punched!

After  _that_ entire fiasco, both Harry and Malfoy's guardians were told of the fight. Sure, Malfoy bullies Harry every day and they don't notice but once Harry starts something, all the attention is on them? Why the hell not! Thankfully Sirius and Remus weren't upset and instead actually commended Harry for standing up for himself. Go figure.

But even though Harry hadn't gotten into trouble, he cried and cried for days after the incident.

* * *

The school at large accepted him for who he was, much to Harry's surprise. The only ones who gave him crap for it was Malfoy and Harry could deal with that. He has been dealing with it for six years now and it was expected. Even so, whenever Malfoy threw a jibe about his orientation, Harry's heart would clench painfully and he didn't know why.

The past six years have been chuck-full of revelations and change and Harry hoped that his final year at Hogwarts would be peaceful and uneventful.

Little did he know his Seventh Year would give way to reveal the greatest revelation of all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Finally done with the interludes! Now the real story can begin.


	12. Six Years Later

"Oh I'm so glad you accepted my invitation Drakey!" A-girl-whose-name-Draco-could-not-even-remember gushed, clutching tightly onto his arm, causing Draco to mentally sigh. He has gone through at least half the girls in the school and he no longer had a choice—he would have to continue accepting every girl's request for a date, no matter how he despised them, or risk his biggest secret getting out.

"Whatever," Draco muttered under his breath and raised his voice, "And don't call me Drakey, its disgraceful and plebeian," it was a terrible name and definitely  _not_ befitting of a Malfoy. "You either call me by my actual name or not at all, understand?"

Draco's tone must have been a tad too harsh as the girl stared at him in shock, nodded her head dumbly and scuttled off. They were currently in the school halls and Draco had to act more convincingly. So he called after her, "I'll pick you up at seven, I've planned something special!" even though he knew very well that he didn't. The only thing he planned for their 'date' was a trip to a food establishment and a movie (what a 'normal' date constitutes of) before sending the girl straight home without the 'normal' peck on the cheeks or lips. You see, Draco wasn't normal; he just wanted to believe he was. It wasn't  _his_ fault after all, he didn't ask to be abnormal, he didn't ask to like guys.

It had been evident from the first time he kissed Pansy in Third Year that girls just didn't do it for him. Too squishy, too soft. But of course, being the stubborn idiot he was, Draco ignored it and carried on to sleep with her in Fifth Year.

Biggest. Mistake.  _Ever._ Draco still got shivers whenever he thought about his first time. Utterly revolting, it was.

That was about the time he began experimenting with other boys.

Draco was not silly enough to proposition a boy from his school (how disastrous that would be) and instead experimented with some of the sons of his parent's business associates. They wouldn't tell anyone—they had their own image to preserve after all. One of them even let Draco fuck him. And it was…refreshing. Especially since that boy had beautiful green eyes and such soft black hair, even though it was a little too neat before Draco messed it up…So much better than the time with Pansy. But after testing, Draco was frightened out of his wits. It couldn't be. All because he loved shoving his dick up someone's arse didn't make him gay, did it? No, of course it didn't.

So, he was going to conceal it to the best of his abilities and keep lying to himself. He wasn't gay—of course he wasn't. Only bumbling fools like Potter were gay. Speaking of Potter…

There he was. Walking down the hall sandwiched between the know-it-all Granger and I'm-so-poor Weasley was too-beautiful-for-his-own-good Potter. Wait— ignore that last thought. Potter wasn't pretty. He definitely wasn't. He was an annoying thorn in Draco's side and Draco hated him with a fiery passion. Of course he did.

Potter was smiling a very breathtaking smile and it made Draco's heart ache, though Draco convinced himself that it was just due to the fact that Potter was happy while he wasn't. It didn't have anything to do with how that wide smile changed abruptly into a scowl as soon as those verdant green eyes landed on Draco's figure. Not at all.

Draco glared back, not wanting to let Potter win. Potter just rolled his eyes and looked away, heading towards his own locker. It wasn't until Blaise slapped him on the back that Draco realised he had been staring at the same empty space for the last five minutes. God, he must have looked like an idiot!

The blond quickly turned to face Blaise, displeasure evident on his face.

"How many times have I told you  _not_ to smack me?" Draco grumbled, his frown deepening as Blaise chuckled at his statement.

"Well  _someone_ woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Why so grumpy  _Drakey-poo?"_ Blaise teased, causing Draco to raise his hand in a V-sign.

"Shut up you wanker," Draco said, "and hurry! First periods about to start."

"That's what I wanted to tell you," Draco heard Blaise say as they stalked towards the Chemistry Lab.

* * *

"20 points from Gryffindor because of tardiness!" Snape exclaimed with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. Harry groaned and Ron opened his mouth to protest, only to be stopped when Hermione shook her head lightly before heading towards her seat.

Harry and Ron stood at the same spot for quite a long period of time, both contemplating if they should voice out how  _unfair_ the point deduction was, until Snape snapped at them to get to their seats unless they wanted him to deduct more points. That got them moving. However, Harry couldn't believe how much of a biased git Snape was. They had only been a minute late. Hell, the bell had just rung as they rushed into class. Technically, they hadn't been late at all. Sure, Harry should have gotten used to this after six years of the treatment but  _still._

Harry's eyes darted towards Malfoy's seat (totally involuntary; it seems he has developed that habit somewhere along the years) and noticed he wasn't even there yet. Harry had to fight to keep the scowl off his face. He was sure Snape wouldn't even consider ever taking points of a Slytherin, especially not the slimiest one of all. It must be some sort of legend, Snape taking points off his own House, as Harry hasn't even seen it happen once. No wonder Slytherin kept beating the stuffing out of them; at least all the other House Deans were fair.

His eyes then trailed towards three students that were standing awkwardly next to Snape, shuffling their feet. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.  _What are they doing there? I don't recognize them._

One of them caught Harry's eyes and winked at him, causing him to flush a bright red and his stomach to do a tiny flip. Attraction flared up in Harry—he was a handsome fellow with dark windswept hair (even though there wasn't any wind) that complemented his warm chocolate brown eyes—and Harry looked away quickly, embarrassed, not wanting to let the male stranger see his blush.

_I'm not blushing am I? I am! Oh my goodness, what's happening? The only time he felt such attraction was with—_

"Sorry we're late Professor!" Malfoy and Zabini apologized as they burst into the Chemistry Lab, interrupting Harry's thoughts. Snape just nodded at them, gesturing for them to take a seat, and Harry bristled at the obvious favoritism.

"Now that everyone is here," Snape paused for a moment to aim a sneer at Harry, Ron and Hermione, "let me introduce our three newest exchange students."

The three students—and now Harry understood why they were there, they must be the exchange students from Durmstrang Institute that came every year, but now since he was in his final year, he would finally be able to attend classes with them—stepped forwards, giving everyone in the class a good view of them.

The first to introduce themselves was a girl with red hair much like the Weasleys, pimples dotting her face and a mouth full of braces, named Agnes Brostrom. The sight of her elicited a snort and a mean comment from Malfoy, causing the poor girl's eyes to water. Harry, who was often (understatement) at the receiving end of Draco's insults, shot her a sympathetic look before staring daggers at Malfoy. Sure, she wasn't beautiful but did Malfoy have to make the foreign exchange student feel unwelcomed and…foreign? Of course he did, what was Harry thinking? This  _was_ Malfoy they were talking about!

_Which still does not explain why you like him…_

"Shut up," Harry murmured to that annoying, uncooperative voice in his head. He was trying to get over that and having the fact thrown in his face everyday by his own subconscious did not help a bit.

_Denial much?_

"Shut up." Harry repeated. That stupid voice had appeared sometime last year when Malfoy had read out the contents of Harry's diary to the entire student body, constantly appearing whenever Malfoy did something nasty (which was every  _bloody_ day). Honestly, Harry believed it was his mind's way of telling his heart to get over the git already. But of course, Harry's heart just had to be as stubborn as the rest of him.

Anyway.

After the first introduction was done, the second person came up. He seemed rather average: normal features, ordinary build, easily looked over in a crowd. Harry clapped with the rest of the class as the boy—Josef Degn—finished his introduction and went to sit next to Hermione.

It was the boy-with-the-brown-eyes' turn now and in the better lighting, Harry realised the boy actually looked kind of familiar.  _And he's hot_ , Harry's brain helpfully supplied.

"Hello. My name is Kristoffer Krum."

 _Oh,_ Harry thought, as he glanced over to Hermione, who had a pleased look on her face for some reason or other,  _no wonder he looks familiar. He must be Viktor's brother._

As Kristoffer sat next to him following his introduction to the class, all that was going through Harry's mind were ways to figure out what Hermione was smiling so smugly about. It seemed somewhat...foreboding.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm sorry for not updating sooner but really, that's my school's fault for giving me four projects to do within a month. And I might not be updating for about two-three more weeks as I'm going overseas.
> 
> Sorry.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. Kristoffer Krum

"Hello," Krum's smooth voice brought a halt to Harry's thoughts. And just when Harry had been harbouring the wonderful idea of taking and hiding away all of Hermione's favourite books to force her to tell him what exactly she had been grinning like the cat that got the cream.

Oh well.

"Um…hi," Harry said, palms suddenly becoming sweaty.

He had never really got used to interacting with new people. His social list consisted of his family (Sirius, Remus and his newly adopted seven-year-old brother), his friends (Harry was actually proud to say that he had more than ten friends – they were close ones, of course) and his bullies (it's obvious whose name should be inserted here)—and this right here was a really hot guy who had shown at least a bit of interest, or at least what Harry interpreted as interest, in him.

Harry could practically  _feel_ himself getting more awkward—his inner dork was coming out to play and  _oh,_ how Harry wished it would just go away.

"So—my name is Kristoffer Krum. What's yours?" Krum asked kindly, his eyes encouraging Harry to speak.

"H- Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you," Harry stuck out his hand impulsively, and sighed in relief when Krum took it with a wide smile on his face.

"Your Professor Snape is kind of a jerk isn't he?" Krum said after he released his grip on Harry's hand, effectively kick starting the conversation.

Hearing that, Harry couldn't help but relax around him, a huge grin spreading across his own face. Krum seemed to be a very nice guy and he also shared Harry's opinion on Snape's general sulkiness.

Feeling comfortable now with a topic—and what a great topic it was, Harry had  _lots_ of material to work with—Harry let his awkward worries go and just went with the flow. And since Harry had no idea how to flirt (what was flirting in the first place? All that came to his mind when the word flirting was mentioned were girls batting their eyelashes ridiculously at the guy they liked. Do only girl's flirt then?), you couldn't really blame for just spurting out the first words that popped into mind.

"He most certainly is. How ever could you tell?" Harry winced as the words left his lips. He hadn't meant to sound sarcastic—it just came out that way!

Krum rolled his eyes and gave him a mock withering look. Harry was glad to note that it was playful. He had not taken offense to Harry's lack of forethought.

"Anyone with eyes could tell! Wait—I take that back. Even people devoid of sight can tell. I don't think he's actually trying to conceal it either. I think he  _enjoys_ making people miserable. Except for the ones in green ties. He didn't lecture them just now, even though they were later than you and your friends. Why is that?"

"The 'green tie' people are Slytherins. Snape is their Head of House. All you need to know is that Snape is the most biased person you will ever meet. Plus, he can hold a grudge for a long time. And I mean a  _long_ time. I'm talking across generations long."

Harry didn't know why he was revealing so much to someone he had just met like five minutes ago but it felt natural. So logic dictated that it  _had_ to be natural, right?

"Then I guess I better not get on his bad side huh?" Krum didn't ask Harry to extend more on his previous statement, something that gained him some of Harry's respect. Most people—actually, just Hermione and Ron back in Third Year when Harry told them that he knew why Snape was such a prat to him—would ask what Harry meant.

"That would be impossible if he sees you interacting with me. Nicely, that is. He loves the people who insult me," Harry said, inwardly groaning when he realised that Malfoy had managed to sneak back inside his line of thoughts once again. And he had almost reached a new record on the amount of time spent thinking about Malfoy (15 minutes 35s).

"Well, then I guess I don't mind having to deal with his anger," Krum winked.

Harry felt his face go red and all thoughts of Malfoy went out the window.

"T-thanks. That's—"

The conversation was interrupted when Snape slammed a book in front of their table, shocking them both.

Snape sneered. "Ten points from Gryffindor for distracting other students in class. Potter, you're barely passing Chemistry and yet here you are chit chatting. Pay attention!"

The whole class was staring at them. The Slytherins were snickering while the Gryffindors groaned at the loss of points—a few of them who didn't know Harry well even shot him a glare. Malfoy in particular had a smug look on his face while Hermione gave him a knowing look. Ron was just staring at him dumbfounded.

Harry couldn't believe him! Sure, maybe they should not have been talking in class but deduction of points  _and_ announcing Harry's grades (and for everyone's information, his Grade point average for Chemistry was 3.2—he wasn't  _barely_ passing)?

That was going a bit too far.

He was brought out of his reverie when a note was pressed discreetly into his lap. His eyes darted towards Krum for a second before reading the contents of the note quickly.

_Wow. He really is sucky isn't he? :(_

Harry's lips twitched upwards upon reading the missive, and he wrote back:

_Yeah, he is._

So, their conversation continued on paper and by the end of Chemistry class, Krum became Kristoffer in Harry's mind.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was pissed. So utterly  _pissed_.

Potter was such an idiot! Talking to that Bulgarian exchange student who he'd just met,  _flirting._ The little  _slut._ The nerve!

Watching the disgusting scene of blatant flirtation happening right before him was unbearable. Draco could just retch at the sight. His stomach was curling in a rather odd and unfamiliar—not to mention unpleasant—way.

Draco knew he shouldn't have eaten that extra blueberry muffin during breakfast.

He had to end this horrid scene immediately! For the sake of everyone's eyes. It was his duty as a student and a prefect to tell the teacher and return the class to its respective learning conducive environment. It wasn't because of anything else.

Draco caught the eye of Professor Snape, and when the dark-haired man raised an eyebrow in question, Draco gestured towards Potter and what's-his-name.

 _Stop them_ , he mouthed. Snape's eyes lit up in malicious glee, as a chance of berating Potter presented itself.

And as Snape chewed Potter out and took points from Gryffindor, Draco forced his signature smirk onto his face, his mind in a furious frenzy.

He had seen Potter  _offer_  his hand to the guy—someone who was inferior to Draco in every way—when he had  _rejected_ Draco's generous offer in First Year. The git! The hypocritical, no-good git!

What right did Potter have to reject his friendship when he extended his hand willingly to someone who was not worthy of it?

Draco closed his eyes for a brief second, only to open his eyes at the exact moment of when Potter and 'Dumb' shared what looked like a private, secretive smile.

Something in Draco's heart broke.

This wasn't good.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm sorry for not updating for...checks last update...*nervous chuckles* two months. Yeah...and this isn't even a long chapter. Sorry 'bout that.
> 
> And I can't promise that the next update would be any quicker.
> 
> Sorry.


	14. Weeks In Hell (Weeks In Heaven)

_Chapter 14—Weeks In Hell (Weeks In Heaven)_

_Not again,_ Draco thought desperately as Potter once again turned his back on him, ignored him.

It's been weeks now since the Durmstrang students came to Hogwarts, since that stupid Krum butted into Draco's life. Since Draco's life went to hell.

Draco's life had not been great before (though many people would think otherwise; he had money and popularity, what else could you possibly want, right?) but now, it felt utterly bleak. Draco had never thought of Potter as being the brightest part of his day, the thing he looked forward to in order to keep him going, but it turned out Potter played a more important part in his life than he had ever believed possible.

The day Krum arrived in Hogwarts—Krum, the bane of Draco Malfoy's existence—was the day Potter ceased to acknowledge Draco.

And it  _hurt._ It really did. It was as if Potter had stolen the sun, had taken with him all the colours that made the world spontaneous and beautiful, on the day he decided that Draco wasn't worth his attention.

It was silly, Draco knew. The emptiness he felt was so  _irrational._ Why should he care if the scrawny little boy he had bullied for years finally woke up and resolved to cut Draco out if his life? Who was he, prissy little Potter, to hold so much power over Draco, a Malfoy?

Draco hadn't realised that he was clenching his hands in a tight fist until Blaise pressed a comforting hand to his shoulder. He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) and faced his long-time roommate and—dare he say it—best friend, who looked have him with sympathizing eyes.

Out of all the people who circulated his circle at Hogwarts, Blaise Zabini was the sole person Draco could call a true friend. Blaise had spent six years in the same room as him, after all. You were bound to get to know a person well that way.

So when Blaise's eyes sparkled with something eerily similar to understanding, fear struck Draco's heart.

He swallowed harshly and one frightening thought popped into mind.

_Did he know?_

_But did he know what?_ Was the follow-up thought. Draco had nothing to hide. In fact, he himself did not understand why he was reduced to such a pathetic mess all because Potter didn't bother to scowl at him or even  _look at him_ anymore.

Draco shook his head hard and gave the dark-skinned boy next to him a weak smile. "I'm fine," he mouthed.

Then he became a Malfoy again, gaining back his composure as quickly as he had lost it, just like how his posse expected. He was their leader, he couldn't show weakness or one of them might think he could be easily replaced.

"Let's head to class," he drawled, his voice full of strength and command. He certainly did not look like how he felt—on the edge of breaking down—and his gang lapped it up, and started their usual bootlicking.

"Stupid Potter," Pansy started, clinging onto Draco's arm like a lifeline. "Think he's so great now all because he got himself a buff boyfriend. Pouf," she said, the disgust in her voice so thick it was practically dripping. Nods of agreement followed her statement, trying so hard to please.

The thought did not please Draco though. Instead, it caused his heart to ache, though Draco recovered soon enough. He  _knew_ for a fact that Potter was not dating that thickheaded Bulgarian. The gossip mill in Hogwarts was an inescapable web of doom—nothing could happen in the large halls of Hogwarts without everyone knowing by the next day.

And the notion comforted Draco for some reason.  _At least it can't get any worse than this._

Oh if only he knew.

* * *

Harry was so happy. Blissful.  _Free._

The day Kristoffer entered his life was like a breath of fresh air. Kristoffer was like Harry's gift from heaven—a godsend. Or, one might even say, a Hermione-send.

Kristoffer had settled in surprisingly easily in Harry's tight knit band of friends. It had been as effortless as breathing to integrate Kristoffer into the group. Hermione had welcomed him with open arms, Ron had been confused for a bit before shrugging it off with a "Welcome to the group, mate" and Ginny had even stated aloud—after whistling in appreciation—that "Boy, you can really pick 'em Harry". Which had been met with a deep flush and "It's not like that".

Harry had been afraid then that Ginny's blatant implication would scare Kristoffer off but the fears were left unfounded. In fact, Kristoffer had laughed and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. He had said, "I think  _I'm_ the one with the good taste."

Of course, Harry hadn't taken Kristoffer seriously then but now, with Kristoffer looking at him with a hopeful gleam in his eyes and the question he had asked just seconds before hanging in the air around them, Harry realised Kristoffer had been more serious than he thought.

_Would you like to be my boyfriend?_

The question that left Harry light-headed, dizzy and…uncertain. Sure, there was attraction between them—there  _definitely was_  attraction, Harry thought as he pictured Kristoffer's washboard abs and drooled a little in his mouth—and Kristoffer was everything he wanted or could even hope for in a man.

But.

 _But what?_  Harry wondered to himself. And the voice that had previously been quite reasonable replied:  _But you're not in love with him._

 _That doesn't matter,_ Harry protested defensively.  _How many people are actually_ in love  _when they start dating. I've got to learn more about him first before—_

_But you're already in love with someone els—_

_NO!_ Harry stopped that irritating voice mid-sentence. He wasn't going to listen to it any longer. All it did was make him confused and agitated.  _No more 'buts',_ he thought with utmost determination.

Kristoffer had done so much for him, after all. He had changed Harry's life quite drastically—and bettered it—in the short span of time he had been at Hogwarts. Because of him, Harry no longer had to fear bullies any longer. Kristoffer was fit and strong and he protected Harry well. Whenever Malfoy tried anything, Kristoffer would be the first person to jump in front of Harry (like some sort of shield) and would deflect everything that Malfoy threw at him.

 _Like my knight in shining armour,_ Harry thought with a somewhat dreamy expression.  _Like the fairytale I've always wanted._

No matter how much Malfoy upped the bullying—and he had indeed tried catching Harry unexpected, trying to harm him when Kristoffer wasn't there—Harry didn't bother responding. Kristoffer was right. Why should he respond to a bully and give him the satisfaction of his suffering?

No, Harry had enough of being the victim to Malfoy's bullying.

 _You forgot another reason why you might accept his offer,_ a small voice whispered in his ear, an unwelcome thought if anything else.  _He helps keep your mind off Malfoy._

 _Shut up!_ Harry screamed mentally.  _I don't want Malfoy in my life anymore. I_ choose  _to not think about him or react to him. I_ choose.

"Hello Harry?" Kristoffer's worried voice brought Harry out of his thoughts. "Are you okay? You've been staring at me for five minutes now."

The Bulgarian shuffled his feet a little, belaying his anxiety. Harry was shocked—Kristoffer had never shown any sign of nervousness before, not even when he had faced off Crabbe and Goyle together, who were both at least two inches taller and twenty pounds heavier than him.

"And you haven't answered my question yet," Kristoffer said in a shaky breath, and Harry realised that Kristoffer was like an ordinary teenager asking his crush out on a date. He wasn't the brave, invincible warrior Harry always romanticized him to be. He was vulnerable. He was  _human._ And that fact alone sealed Harry's decision.

"So, would you do me the honour of being my boyfriend Harry?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry that it took another two-month long wait again. I'll try to update sooner next time (though I can make no promises).


	15. Hermione Granger

_Chapter 15—Hermione Granger_

The first thing Hermione Granger felt when she came down from the dormitories was a sense of thrill in the air. A sort of thrill that usually came from the school populace when they had new 'scandalous' gossip to lap up and spread around.

 _I wonder what it's all about this time,_ Hermione thought absent-mindedly, adjusting her sling bag to a more comfortable position on her hip. She narrowed her eyes as she contemplated a possible.  _It better not be about Ron dating another air-headed girl again._

But no, it couldn't be that. Ron's dating habits wouldn't be considered a hot gossip topic. Not to the masses, at least. It won't be controversial enough.

 _Then what is it?_ She strained her ears to listen in on some of the surrounding conversations—usually, gossip held no interest to her but this time, she had a funny feeling that it was something big, something about someone important to her—but wasn't able to hear anything besides incoherent mumbling.

However, her question for what was going on was answered once she saw Kristoffer and Harry walking down the halls, their hands linked, while the mutterings around her got louder.

 _They're dating,_ Hermione realised.  _Finally._

A smug grin tugged on her lips. Hermione was glad. Extremely satisfied, in fact.

 _Harry finally caught the hint,_ she thought.  _Mission Set-Harry-Up is now officially closed. Thank goodness._

Viktor had told her once, while they were debating same-sex marriage and homosexual rights, that his brother was gay. And when Harry had come out, bit decided that he was against dating, Hermione had hatched a plan. She had arranged for Kristoffer to come to Hogwarts—well, sort of, anyway. Thus, Mission Set-Harry-Up was born.

Matchmaking wasn't really her thing, but Hermione had wanted to see Harry  _happy._ Because if anyone deserved happiness, it was Harry Potter. So, she had subtly manipulated Viktor—they were still good friends who chatted occasionally online—into convincing his brother to come to Hogwarts.

_And what a good thing I did. Look at Harry now. Malfoy's no longer bullying him, thanks to Kristoffer's protection and Harry seems to have gained a little self esteem from hanging out with him, as well. And now, they're dating. Happy. Job well done, Hermione._

There was a soft smile on her face as she saw Harry tiptoe upwards to plant a kiss on Kristoffer's lips as he dropped him off at his locker, appearing absolutely uncaring of the blatant staring from the people all around him, before waving goodbye to him as they parted ways—Kristoffer to class, and Harry towards Hermione.

Kristoffer was a temporary Gryffindor; though he had additional classes that Harry didn't take so they weren't  _always_ together. Which was good, really. Hermione might approve of the couple she had kind-of brought together but Harry needed to be independent sometimes. He couldn't always lean on Kristoffer and count on him to protect him from all dangers.

"Hi Hermione," Harry greeted, still looking completely blasé, even with the many eyes following his every move. "Finished with the Geometry homework yet?"

They fell into casual conversation, although Hermione was scanning the area around them to ensure that no homophobic fool would come up and ruin Harry's happiness by spouting all their hypocritical bullshit. Nothing caught her attention for a while. But then, her eyes landed on Malfoy, who was struggling against Blaise Zabini's hold.

 _I bet Zabini is the only reason Malfoy isn't taking advantage of the fact that Kristoffer's not here to beat Harry up. That homophobic prick._ She tried to hide the frown that wanted to spread on her face, and ended up grimacing. Harry noticed.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked, worried. Hermione shook her head. She needed to get Harry away from the hallways for the moment—Malfoy would probably get out from Zabini's grasp soon; he was bigger than the dark-skinned boy after all—yet she didn't want to clue Harry in on the incoming danger.

She forced a smile onto her face and said, "It's nothing. I was just wondering where Ron is, that's all." Harry chuckled, a knowing glint in his eyes, and Hermione knew she'd successfully distracted him. Now, she just needed to lead him away. Hopefully, to a place with a teacher present.

"He's coming down from the dorm soon. He spent all night doing his homework, can you believe? I think he's trying to impress a certain bushy-haired girl," Harry explained, winking at Hermione when he said the last statement. A blush made its way onto Hermione's face.

"Let's go to the dorms and hurry him up," Hermione suggested, eyes constantly darting over Harry's shoulders, panicking a bit as she saw that Malfoy had managed to fight his way out of Zabini's hold. "We need to be quick, class is about to start soon."

"Okay—" Harry was cut off mid-way as Hermione dragged him towards the dorms, sighing in relief as she saw Malfoy wasn't following them.

 _It's great that Harry has finally found someone to date, and I won't let Malfoy spoil it for him._  Hermione closed her eyes for a moment as she thought on her own love life.  _Now if only I could get Ron the Oblivious to get a clue._

* * *

Behind them, a certain blond had his own set of love problems, heart aching at the knowledge that the person he liked was dating another.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter isn't very long, but at least I didn't take too long to get it out...Right?
> 
> Hermione's POV for a change because I wanted to introduce an outsider's view to Harry and Draco's relationship. And add some Ron/Hermione, because they are the only het ship I actively support.


	16. Annoying Bits of Truth

_Chapter 16—Annoying Bits Of Truth_

Draco hated himself.

He hated the world for doing this. He hated denial for not doing its job. And most importantly, he hated Harry Potter.

He hated Harry Potter for making Draco love him.

Because it was true. Draco had realised it the moment he saw Potter plant a sickeningly loving kiss onto Krum's lips and the revelation itself tore Draco's insides to shreds.

He wished he never realised this. He didn't even know how it had happened.

How? When? Why?

Draco couldn't answer any one of those questions. He could only acknowledge the fact.

He loved Harry Potter. And Draco hated that he did with a fiery passion.

Was that the reason why he always sought out Potter's attention, unconsciously or not? Was that why Draco started bullying Potter since their first year at Hogwarts?

Was that the reason why Draco felt a constant burn in his chest whenever he caught sight of Potter with Krum? Was that the reason why he felt like hurling his lunch out whenever he even  _thought_ of them together?

Draco had the answers to all  _those_  questions. And they were all positive.

One would think Draco should be happy that he had recently found out about his love for another person. That it would go all Hollywood style with Draco fighting for Potter's love and after valiant courting, they would ride off into the sunset on Draco's figurative white stallion.

Fat chance of that happening.

Draco  _hated_ it. Intensely so. Because now, he  _had_ to acknowledge the fact that the unpleasant feeling at the pit of his stomach when he saw Krum and Potter together was not due to food poisoning but was because he was  _jealous._ He couldn't deceive himself any longer, can no longer tell himself that he wasn't gay. And to top the bloody sundae off, not only was his love in love with another, but also Potter absolutely loathed him.

Not that he was entirely to blame. After all, Draco's main purpose these past few years was to make Potter hate him, to make him regret rejecting him as a friend. It was no surprise, then, that Potter disliked him so. If someone had constantly harassed for most of his schoolboy years, Draco was sure he would hold a grudge against the person for the rest of his life, forget about considering a romance with them.

All in all, Draco was screwed.

What was he supposed to  _do_? Denial had kept him safe and ignorant so far but now that the veil was off, Draco felt vulnerable, as if his skin was sensitive to the exposure of his emotions. Potter could now strike Draco down so easily. Even a hug from Potter to Krum could probably break Draco's heart into a thousand shards and render it unfixable.

Did Draco mention how screwed he was?

What Draco wanted to do now was to get a time machine and travel to the past, to warn his past self against antagonizing Potter. Or to at least warn him to not fall for him. Maybe if their past had been different, they could end up together. If they had been different, Draco would have something to work with. He would just have to be his own charming self and Potter would fall head over heels for him like every other girl he knew.

But it was not to be. And Draco could forget about ever being together with Potter in any conceivable way. Even if Krum and Potter were to end their relationship— _which was not bloody likely with how lovey-dovey they were fucking acting towards each other,_ Draco thought bitterly—Draco would not have a chance. They would have to get through all their history and even if by some miracle Draco managed to get Potter to forgive him…

No. Draco had to stop contemplating this lest it drive him mad. He was just torturing himself with all the possibilities in which he would surely all fail in.

 _But aren't you going to at least try? A Malfoy should never back down, even in the face of the impossible,_ the tiny voice of his father niggled at the back of his mind.

Draco shook his head slightly.  _Malfoys should try. But no Malfoys are suicidal._

It would never work. And Draco detested that fact.

 _Annoying truth. Why did you have to butt into my life and ruin it for me?_ Draco despaired.

* * *

"S-Sirius? Remus? Remember what I said the other day about introducing someone to you? Someone important?" Harry asked timidly, his voice shaky. Sirius looked up from where he was watching the telly and tilted his head curiously to the side before nodding and gesturing for Harry to continue.

Harry gulped. Sirius noticed and elbowed Remus next to him. Harry had mentioned about a week ago that he would like to introduce someone to them. But it seemed that without a nudge forward, his plans would not be coming into fruition. Remus cleared his throat and said, "Yes Harry? We know you want to introduce us to someone today. A friend?"

"U-Uh…He's not exactly my friend. He's—" Harry stared at the front door as the bell rung. "I'll get it!"

He rushed to the door and opened it, and Sirius managed to catch a glimpse of brown hair before Harry's frame shielded the guy from his view. There was an uneasy feeling growing in Sirius' chest.

He heard murmurs and mutterings coming from Harry discussing whatever with the mysterious stranger. Sirius was getting more and more impatient. Just who exactly was this guy?

Finally, Harry stepped away from the door, making way for a tall teenager to walk in, dark brown hair, swagger and all. Sirius instinctively disliked him and the unpleasant feeling crept up his skin quicker.

"Sirius, Remus. This is my boyfriend, Kristoffer Krum."

Sirius had to hold back a scream.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! Even though it is still quite short...


	17. Sirius Black

_Chapter 17—Sirius Black_

Sirius was feeling very conflicted at the moment.

Harry had just introduced him and Remus to his boyfriend a few hours ago. And the entire time, Sirius had had to bite his tongue to keep from either full out interrogating Krum or calling him out on his intentions.

Okay, and so maybe he did not know Krum and certainly should not be jumping to conclusions but Sirius had been a teenage boy before. He knew  _exactly_ what was on all of their minds.

He pointedly decided to ignore the fact that Harry was a teenage boy as well and probably felt the same needs. Oh no, Harry was  _still_ his little boy and he wasn't going to believe otherwise.

This relationship was no doubt serious as well, considering the fact that Harry had brought him along to meet Sirius and Remus for Christmas break. Harry held those times dear and liked to preserve it for family, since his earlier experiences with his 'relatives' had been nothing but terrible. He actually deciding to bring along another person to celebrate with was…overwhelming to say the least. Sirius saw it as a major deal. That Krum even came was a big deal since he was an exchange student and  _those_  usually spent their Christmas break at Hogwarts or they go back to their home country for it.

That was good. It meant their relationship was strong.

Or it could be bad. That was the thing Sirius was struggling with.

On one hand, Sirius wanted Harry to be happy after all he had been through and this relationship clearly made him happy. Sirius loved Harry to bits and was glad to see him glowing with such joy. Krum made him feel that way so Sirius felt that he had to accept that.

On the other hand, Sirius was feeling protective of Harry. There was a fatherly instinct inside of him that just wanted to just tell Krum to 'fuck off!' and to leave his darling Harry alone. He also knew from his own experiences that no matter how serious a relationship seemed at the moment, it wouldn't last most of the time. High School romances rarely did. And he did not want Harry to feel heartbroken when this one ended, especially considering the fact that Krum's home was in Bulgaria. Add long distance to the mix and Sirius knew that this entire thing would probably not end happily.

However, there was a slight possibility it could work out…in which case Sirius still rather keep Harry away from dating.

Ugh, it was so tiring fighting about this with himself.

 _Well,_ Sirius thought fondly,  _this is probably natural for any parent. Not wanting to let their child go—feeling so protective of them._

Sirius sighed.  _Also, I'd promised James that if anything were to happen to him I'd do my best to nurture Harry into a charming young man in his place._

Thinking about Harry, Sirius smiled.  _I'd say Moony and I did a bang up job, even though I still wish we could fully give him the childhood he deserved._

Somewhere inside of him, Sirius hoped that his and Remus' adoption application would be approved so that they could bring joy to another child like they weren't able to give entirely to Harry.

"Still debating with yourself?" An amused voice called from behind him.

Sirius turned around to find Remus with a grin on his face and a hot cup of tea in his hand. Remus walked towards him and placed the cup onto his desk, gesturing for him to drink it. Sirius took it gratefully, drinking a few sips to release some of his tension. Remus certainly knew how to help relax him.

"As if you haven't been doing so yourself," Sirius said as he put the cup back onto the desk.

"Yes, yes. I must admit Harry introducing us to his boyfriend was a bit shocking," Remus conceded, taking a seat on the sofa beside Sirius. "But, in hindsight, we should have expected it once he said he was going to introduce us to one of his friends. Aside from Ron and Hermione and their families, he prefers to spend all of Christmas break with us alone. Their relationship must be strong, I'd say."

Sirius nodded. So they were both on the same page.

"I still need to get used to it though," Sirius moaned. "And with both of them in Harry's room—you can't tell me that you're not worried about anything happening."

Krum had been staying at a hotel before today and Harry had asked if he could perhaps stay with them now until the holidays ended. And both of them had not been able to reject his request, though they had set conditions. A whole motherload of conditions.

Remus bit his lip and Sirius knew he shared the same worries as himself. However, Remus also preferred to be the more reasonable one and seemed to want to convince himself that no funny business was happening between Harry and Krum.

"I'm sure nothing would happen. I trust that Harry wouldn't be so irresponsible. Also," Remus' eyes flashed a little, "we would know if they do so. Harry's bedroom door will be opened at all times and they won't be sleeping in the same bed. Nothing will happen under our supervision."

Sirius calmed just a fraction after listening to Remus' justification. He also couldn't resist laughing at the whole situation in his head. Judging by Remus' tone, Sirius was perhaps not the most overprotective of Harry after all.

Yeah. So if Remus could handle Harry's new relationship and remain collected then he sure could too!

…Probably easier said then done.

He just had to keep reminding himself that Harry was happy.

That would help.

As long as Harry was happy, Sirius could deal with anything.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning everybody. I've just realised that this fic is heading towards cliche territory. If you don't like that then...I'm sorry. Typical High School AU, this is, embarrassingly enough.
> 
> Also, I'm finding it harder and harder to write this story. D:
> 
> But don't worry, I still plan on completing it (no matter how long it takes).


	18. Conversation

_Chapter 18—Conversation_

Upstairs, while Sirius and Remus were talking, Harry and Kristoffer were having their own conversation.

Kristoffer looked away from the book he was reading—it was a Bulgarian book he brought from home, full of his favourite fairytales from childhood—and stared up at Harry from his air mattress. Harry was going through a chemistry textbook, his eyebrows scrunched up in concentration.

Kristoffer chuckled softly at the sight. His boyfriend was pretty hardworking. Studying during the holidays—he hardly knew anyone who did that. Actually Harry seemed to always be revising chemistry, probably because he knew he had to work extra hard to get good marks from their dingbat of a chemistry teacher. The Bulgarian sighed, enjoying the adorable look on his boyfriend's face. It was a pity that he had to interrupt.

He really didn't want to bring up the topic yet but honestly he had no choice. The day was nearing and the conversation was bound to happen sooner or later. Why not sooner?

Getting of the mattress, Kristoffer plopped himself onto the empty space next to Harry on the bed, pushing the textbook away and pulled the smaller male into his arms. He whispered into Harry's ear, "We have to talk."

Harry turned around to face him, looking confused. He picked up the textbook once again, flipping through it to find his previous page. As he did so, he said, "I don't know what's so important that we have to discuss it now but sure, we can talk if you want to. You don't mind if I study as well, right? I'm worried about the chemistry examination we're having when Christmas is over—knowing Snape, it's probably going to be  _hard."_

Kristoffer replied, "Well, I actually think that you might want to put down the book for this—it's important. I'll help you with chemistry tomorrow, if you want."

Quirking his eyebrows, Harry marked the page he was on and closed the book, setting it down.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked. He sounded a bit nervous, for reasons Kristoffer couldn't understand.

 _What is going through his head?_ Kristoffer wondered for a split second, before shaking the thought out of his head. Maybe he would talk with Harry about that another day—for now there were more major subjects to talk about.

"Our relationship—how do you think we're faring?" Kristoffer started, wanting to know how Harry felt about them being together first. They had only been together for a few weeks and although he had delighted in every minute of it, Harry never really seemed as into it as he would like.

"I think we're doing fine," Harry answered. "It's nicer than I thought it would be—dating, I mean. It's just like when we were friends, except with kisses. Yes, I think we're doing quite okay. Uh…you feel the same way too, right?" Harry offered a shy smile to him. Kristoffer inwardly sighed. There was the problem. Aside from some hugs and kisses (which were mostly short and on the cheek), it was just like they were still friends. It was as if Harry wasn't attracted to him in a romantic sense, which brought him to the main problem.

How would this relationship last like this?

Kristoffer really liked Harry. He wanted it to last. But he would have to go back to Bulgaria one day, mostly likely in a few months. If there wasn't a strong bond between them before that day came, what would keep their relationship from falling apart? What would motivate Harry to keep in touch with him? What would stop him from dating someone else and forgetting about him?

And staying in the United Kingdom wasn't really much of an option. Kristoffer wanted to go back to Bulgaria after all. It was his home and he missed it—his family, his friends, and the beautiful country itself. He would put in effort to keep their relationship going but he couldn't be the only one doing so, especially when the other's feelings were indefinite now and he had no idea how everything would end.

"Yes," he finally replied, nuzzling Harry's neck with his nose, trying to get some physical affection. "Our relationship is fine. Of course."

"Was that all?" Harry questioned, and Kristoffer could feel the warmth of his body moving away from his own.

He had more to say, of course he did. So much more. But—not today. Kristoffer sighed once again. Deciding to leave the topic for another day (again), Kristoffer said, "That's all. Just wanted to know if you thought our relationship was heading in the right direction."

Kristoffer would make this relationship work. He would find a way to make Harry see him in a more sexual way, bring them closer…

He could feel the beginning of a solution blossom in his mind.

* * *

Draco gazed out the window, watching as snowflakes drifted down to the ground. Christmas had been dull this year. It was the same as the years before but it seemed his many presents could not satisfy him this year.

This time, Draco wasn't going to deny the reason. He knew  _exactly_ why.

He had stopped trying to lie to himself a long time ago.

Especially since there was a small part of him that was urging him to do something about it. It was unreasonable and annoying but it was growing larger and louder every single day. Draco couldn't ignore it anymore.

He had to find a way to win Potter—Harry—over. As of now, it seemed to be the only option if he wanted to be happy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Draco is still a selfish jerk - he'll change overtime. Albeit, very slowly.
> 
> I know people might want me to hurry to the Drarry and believe me, I want to too. Just a few more chapters - for Draco to actually do something, of course. As you can tell, he's very stubborn in this story.
> 
> This story is so far from over. Believe me.


End file.
